Of Black and Red Roses
by Yuuna Arashi
Summary: The Wild host type, also known as Morinozuka Takashi has hidden feelings for his kouhai, Fujioka Haruhi, who happens to be the Natural host type. Venture thru the development of their relationship, as people try to separate them apart. Random Updating!
1. Midsummer Moonlight

Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC and its characters, I am merely borrowing them for a short while. ^^ All credits go to Bisco Hatori. ^^ I am just an Ouran fan.

Okay! On with the story...

**Chapter 1.**

_Her Memories…_

_Venue: The Ootori Tropical Aqua Garden, somewhere in the Jungle._

_Event: Hani missing, he was engulfed by a giant wave and taken somewhere else, it was Tamaki's fault. Mori and Haruhi went to search for him once the rain had stopped._

_Haruhi was attacked by slimy brown snakes and snapping crocodiles and deep ponds when she tried to follow Mori, as she had wanted to go with him to search for Hani. Sensing Haruhi to be in trouble, Mori stopped and turned back._

"_Haruhi," Mori called out. _

_She stared questioningly at the Gentle Giant. He picked her up in one arm and she clung to his chest. _'That's the first time he called me by my name.' _she thought silently. She flushed a little and felt a bit happy._

*:*:*:*:*:*

Class just finished two minutes ago and Haruhi was on her way to the Third Music Room. Kyouya had reminded them yesterday that there will be a short meeting today, regarding the special event that they were going to do, one week from now.

She took her time to reach her destination, and her mind was preoccupied with the decision on what to cook for dinner later. 'Should I make _Katsudon_ today? I know Dad would like it. Hmm. I better go to the supermarket later to check this week's special discount items.' As she continued her thoughts, she didn't look ahead on where she was going. Then suddenly, _thud. _The sudden soft impact with something concrete stopped her in her tracks and she staggered back a little.

"What the-" Haruhi looked up to discover that her obstacle was none other than, the ever stoic Mori. When Mori felt something thudded behind his back, he turned around and saw Haruhi looking up at him.

"Ah, Haruhi." He acknowledged her presence. "Is something wrong? You seem to be out of focus back there. You should look where you were going though." He smiled gently to her.

"Eh?" Haruhi blinked several times in order to fully understand that Mori just **talked **to her, in **full** sentences. "Mori… senpai?" She still had a hard time believing that Mori just **talked** to her. Then something clicked in her mind. "Mori-senpai, are you… sleepy?" she asked curiously.

"Ah. Now that you mentioned it, I am feeling a bit drowsy at the moment." He laid his broad palm onto her head and ruffled her hair lightly; the rare smile was still planted on his face. It was a sign of affection.

"Let's go." He took her by the hand and towed her to the music room.

Haruhi was still shocked and wasn't able to utter a single word out. She just stared at their interlocked hands during the rest of the journey. '_He's… holding my hand. Mori-senpai… is holding _my_ hand._' She said it again and again, silently, in her head. '_I never thought about it before but… Our hands fit perfectly with each other._' A small smile formed on her lips.

Still feeling dazed and unaware of his actions, Mori led the way to the Third Music Room, with Haruhi tagging along behind him. As he opened the door, swirls of rose petals greeted them (it happens automatically whenever somebody opens the door).

With her hand still in his, he made his way to the farthest red velvet sofa, near the window. He sat down and patted the empty space beside him, "Sit." Haruhi reluctantly obeyed and sat next to him, never even fidgeting. The next thing he did **really** caught her off guard. He laid his head on her lap and closed his eyes and a few seconds later, sleep overcame him in an instant. Haruhi just stared down at his sleeping face.

Ten minutes passed by.

"He looks really… peaceful." she muttered softly.

She hesitantly lowered her fingers to his spiked hair, clenching and unclenching her fingers until she decided that it seemed safe enough. So, she slowly (but cautiously) ran her fingers through his hair, feeling every single strand of it.

He stirred in his sleep by her comforting gesture, and turned around so that his face was to her body and then wrapped his left arm around her waist, possessively. "Haruhi…" he mumbled unconsciously. This made her a bit flustered but, somehow happy, and she continued to run her fingers through his hair.

At the other side of the room, Hani grinned happily while enjoying his cakes. He was absolutely thrilled when he saw Mori holding Haruhi's hand and led her to the sofa in order to sleep. He knew his cousin was sleepy and he knew that his cousin likes the short-hair brunette. Kyouya noticed the pair, even though he didn't look up from his laptop. But he did type in the data faster. Tamaki and the twins' jaws dropped to the floor. Hikaru was fuming and wanted to separate them, but Kaoru held him back. Tamaki's soul flew out of his body and he was now an empty human shell.

**In Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre**

"Iyaaaaa! Mori-senpai!" Haruhi complained playfully and turned her face sideways, hiding her flushed face. "Let go of my waist, senpai." She tried to push his arm away playfully.

"Eh? No, Haruhi. I will not let go of your waist." Mori tightened his arm around her and grinned cheekily. His eyes were full of mischief.

_Tamaki's mind worked idiotic wonders. _This is how he imagined the scenario would play out, on what he had witnessed five minutes ago. During this, ahem, **denial of reality**, Tamaki saw (actually, imagined what he saw) Haruhi, his pure innocent daughter's virtue had been corrupted by the third year senior, Morinozuka Takashi.

This wild assumption he made from his idiotic imaginations gave him a hard blow on his head which sent him flying a few yards away by the sudden impact.

**(A/N: Poor, poor Tamaki-sama… NOT! Mwahahaha! He saw it coming anyways… *shrugs off*)**

Just as he was about to get up from the impact, his imaginations worked their way again. This time, Haruhi was in the arms of the perpetrator, Mori. The senior tilted her body at a slight angle and leaned in closer… closer… until they were only inches apart from each others lips.

"Haruhi…" Mori whispered her name softly.

"Mori-senpai…" she whispered in the same manner as he did.

**(A/N: How far can Tamaki's imaginations go?! I think he's being dramatic and a little way too imaginative at the same time… *shakes head slowly*)**

**-Back in reality-**

Mori stirred again in his sleep and Haruhi still ran her fingers through his hair, calming him and soothing him, like a mother would to her child. This kind of gesture reminded her of the time when her mother was still alive. Whenever Haruhi stirred in her sleep, her mother would run her fingers through her hair softly, calming her and soothing her at the same time.

A soft smile lingered on Haruhi's lips each time Mori mumbled something incoherent in his sleep. 'He's _been sleeping for a while now…_' she silently thought. '_I think I might be here for a while, I don't want to wake him up though. He seemed really tired back then._'

She needed to text her Dad up to tell him she'll be a little late today. She carefully took her cellphone out from her pant's right pocket. She maneuvered her hand skillfully, so as not to wake the sleeping senior on her lap. The text message was sent and Haruhi continued what she did previously. But this time, she traced her finger softly along his jaw line to his cheekbone, and she could feel his body relaxed further.

His left arm was still around her waist and it tightened slightly when she traced her finger on his skin.

Then there was an incoming text message from her Dad, he said not to worry and he would cook dinner for himself later. He added that she didn't have to rush home and to take her time on whatever she was doing. Haruhi smiled and thanked her Dad silently.

It was getting pretty late and school time was almost over. "Haru-chan," Hani whispered softly as he suddenly appeared beside her but that didn't really came out as a surprise to her, as she was used to surprises by now. She cocked her head slightly and stared at the small senior, questioningly. A gesture which meant, '_what is it?_'

Hani held up an A4 paper with his two small hands and tilted his head to one-side. It read, "Haru-chan, me and the others are gonna go home, 'kay? Will that be alright with you?" Haruhi nodded in reply. Hani grinned widely and cute pink flowers appeared suddenly from thin air and danced around his chibi head.

He held up another paper, but this time it was smaller. It read, "Take care of Takashi, ne?" She nodded again in reply. Hani grinned even wider in reply and waved goodbye as he skipped out the door. Followed suit were the twins, they waved nonchalantly to her (well, actually just Hikaru. Kaoru didn't want to but he didn't want to offend Hikaru's feelings) and walked, in sync, out the door; Hikaru was still in his bad mood. Finally, Kyouya, along with the empty human shell Tamaki in hand (more like dragging), waved goodbye, smirking for a full two seconds and pushed his glasses up, and went out the door.

The Third Music Room was really quiet now. The sounds of an owl hooting in the distance can be heard. Haruhi sighed contently and stared out through the large window, to look up at the glowing full moon. The soft glow from the moonlight emanated through the window panes, basking them with the midsummer's moonlight.

The sakura trees swayed gently as the wind blows. "This is really peaceful; the scenery is beautiful too. I could stay like this forever…"

She smiled down at the boy sleeping on her lap. She watched his breathing, it was really rhythmic and slowly her eyes began to droop heavily. Haruhi shook her head lightly, trying to stay awake. She even tried to stifle a yawn, but with no luck.

Alas, sleep overcame her eventually. Her fingers were still through his hair, placing them there before she dozed off. She laid her head back and finally drifted off into her dreams.

*:*:*:*:*:*

It was past midnight, Mori slowly adjusted his eyes to the mild darkness. He wondered where he was for a moment, taking in his surroundings. Just then he noticed the soft 'pad' his head laid on and looked up to see… Haruhi. She was peacefully sleeping with her head in her hand. Her breathing was slow and steady. He then noticed the position he was in; his left arm was around her waist and her fingers were laid through his hair. A slight pink blush crept up his cheeks. He smiled gently at the sleeping girl above him.

'_How long were we asleep?_' he thought silently, and then something made him realized. '_She's still here… Even though she could've gone home earlier…_'his thoughts trailed off.

'_Did she stay here… for my sake? She could've wakened me up though… but then, she chose to stay instead…_'

Mori was speechless (no pun intended since Mori _is_ speechless all the time, apart from the single words he uttered). He stared at her questioningly, trying to figure out his thoughts. He slowly pulled his left arm from her waist, careful not to wake her up. Then he lifted his index finger and stroked softly along Haruhi's cheekbone. Mori froze when Haruhi stirred slightly in her sleep. When it seemed that the gesture didn't wake her up, he exhaled slowly in relief.

He slowly got up from her lap, being really careful not to wake her up. He stretched his body fully to ease the tension in his muscles. Then he turned around to look at her again, studying her in her sleep. Her bangs parted slightly to the right, softly caressing her skin. Her eyelashes were long and thick, they lay softly on her cheeks. The ends of her hair, which was crushed against the sofa, curled up slightly, giving her a pixie-like look. Her pink lips were parted slightly as she breathed.

'_She's so… breath-taking.'_

Mori lifted her up slowly, bridal style, and gently laid her down again on the sofa. Now, her body is positioned horizontally, so when she wakes up later, she wouldn't have any muscle cramps caused from sitting for too long.

The red sofa was big enough for two people to lie down. Efficiently, it was long enough for Mori's tall posture. He lay down beside her and gently lifted her head so he could place his right arm under it. Then he turned his body slowly towards hers and placed his left arm between them. Mori gazed longingly at Haruhi and whispered, "I love you… Haruhi."

Just then, she stirred again in her sleep and turned her body towards Mori's. Mori held in his breathe and stilled his body, wondering whether she heard his confession. When he was sure she was still sleeping, he exhaled in relief. But his heart rate was increasing. Then the next thing she did, really caught him off guard, his heart almost stopped beating.

She snuggled closer to his body and took hold of his left arm between them and placed it to her chest. Mori inhaled sharply, he almost coughed but held it in, although his chest was slightly aching from the sharp intake and what with his heart trying to leap out. He could feel her heart beat. _Thump. Thump, thump. Thump. Thump, thump._ He was somewhat amused by this and he could feel a smile tugging on his lips. He moved in closer and caught a whiff of her scent. '_Strawberries,' _he smiled knowingly_, 'I should have known.'_

As the time passed by, sleep overcame him too and he drifted off to his dreams with Haruhi snuggled close to his chest.

*:*:*:*:*:*

**A/N: This is my first attempt in writing an Ouran fanfic. So, if you please, be nice to me ^^**

**Love/Flame, Review/Critic, and Suggest. Do whatever you want. But remember, I can take all the flames and turn them into rubies instead. XD**


	2. Of Shampoos and Teacups

Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC or its characters, credits to Bisco Hatori. ^^

Oh, and there might be slight OOC in this chapter.

**Chapter 2.**

**-The Next Day-**

The time showed 4.05 in the morning. When dawn broke and the early chirping of birds can be heard, Haruhi blinked opened her eyes slowly. "My muscle joints feel so tensed…" she muttered to herself. Just then, she realized the pink patterned ceiling above her, **and** the huge-assed chandeliers, **and** the pink walls, **and** the large rectangular windows. Her brown eyes grew wider as she realized where she was. "Eh…?"

She jerked up suddenly and heard a rather loud thud two seconds later. "What the-…" She froze, rock solid, when she heard a low, but still loud, groan on the floor. She peeked down to the floor to find… "M-Mori-senpai?!"

Mori muffled another groan. He was lying face-flat on the floor due to the sudden impact he received. He heaved himself up from the floor, using his two palms as support. He stretched fully, releasing the tension in his muscle joints and twisted his body as he did so. He froze suddenly, still in his twisted posture, and stared down at the frozen girl on the sofa.

During Mori's short stretching session, it clicked to Haruhi on what had happened. All the memories from last night flashed right in front of her. '_That's right_,' she thought, '_I stayed the night here with Mori-senpai. He was sleeping peacefully and I didn't want to wake him up. So I stayed… here. With him. Sleeping on my lap. Eh…?_' Something clicked again in her head.

'_How did I end up lying down on the sofa? I was sure I was in a sitting posture before I dozed off. When did I…?_' she trailed off, and then she realized something. '_Mori-senpai must've woken up last night when I was still sleeping. He must've had…_' she concluded and added, '_That's why he was next to me and fell off…_' Her face began to blush slowly; she could feel her ears turning hotter every passing second.

Mori still stood frozen and had no idea what she was thinking about. '_Is she mad? I think she's mad. I hope she's not mad though. But I think she is. She must've been mad. Otherwise why didn't she say anything? Yup. Definitely. She's mad. At me. Oh my God! Takashi! What have you done?!_' His mind was chaotic but he kept his stoic mask up to hide his flustered feelings.

Haruhi slowly lifted her eyes to gaze at Mori. When their eyes met, a slight pinkish blush formed on both their faces. They looked away from each other immediately.

"Um…" Haruhi started off, "How was your… sleep?" she pondered cautiously but there was a hint of curiosity laced in her tone.

"Ah," he replied, Haruhi was a little disappointed with his one word answer, until, "it was… comfortable." Mori had to look away again so Haruhi wouldn't notice his now crimson face.

She smiled a genuine smile at his reply and gazed at him with her huge knowing brown eyes. "I'm glad," she smiled softly now, "shall we go… freshen up, Mori-senpai?"

"Ah. Let's go," he nodded.

---

It was really fortunate and highly beneficial for a bathroom to be in the Third Music Room. It was huge, laden with high-quality items ranging from shampoos to soaps to toothpastes to toothbrushes alike. A stack of cream towels were placed on the granite bathroom counter, a line of bathrobes were hung at one wall. Mosaic coloured tiles and a few art pieces, of all sorts, adorned the huge bathroom walls. While white marble tiles adorned the floors.

There was a bouquet of lavender, placed in a crystal clear vase, half-filled with water, on the end of the bathroom counter. A huge rectangular mirror, framed with pure golden ornate carvings, hung above the counter. At one corner, farthest to the counter, lay a huge square, granite coloured Jacuzzi; seven people could easily fit in there.

At the other corner, a high-tech shower room was placed. The crystal clear shower doors were engraved with different colours and sizes of roses; the top and bottom quarter were absent of these engraved roses. No doubt, the purpose of the engraved roses was to hide the person showering inside, from their shoulders right down to their knees.

When Haruhi stepped in, with Mori holding out the door for her (he is such a gentleman!), she scanned the entire bathroom with admiration and then her left eye began to twitch. '_Damn rich bastards…_' she thought to herself, silently cursing along the way.

"Haruhi," Mori interrupted her thoughts, "take your shower first, I'll do it after you're done." She nodded silently and with that, Mori stepped out and closed the door behind him, then went straight to the kitchenette.

Haruhi trailed her index finger on the granite counter. "It's so cold." She then browsed through the bathroom items and picked up one of the shampoos. She smiled inwardly when she sniffed the scented shampoo in her hand. Satisfied with her choice (a strawberry scented shampoo), she began to take her shower.

**-In the Kitchenette-**

Mori had stirred the contents in the tea cup for five minutes already. No doubt, his mind was somewhere else. And of course, his thoughts were about Haruhi and last night's event.

He smiled inwardly when he remembered the time she snuggled close to him and took hold of his arm, placing it against her chest. He remembered the rhythm of her heart beat. He remembered the slight pink blush creeping up her cheeks when they look at each other for a short glance. He especially remembered the way she smiled, the smile that reached up to her eyes and made her eyes twinkled; it was one of her genuine smiles.

"She looks absolutely beautiful…" he muttered softly as he gazed out into space.

**-In the Shower Room-**

Haruhi stood under the shower for a good ten minutes. Time seemed to drag slowly when she's all alone. The hot water patted and ran down her skin. It wasn't a surprise to see Haruhi lost in her own thoughts, and like Mori, she too was recalling last night and this early morning's events.

"'It was… comfortable' he said, somehow I feel… rather happy. No wonder I felt so warmed up last night, he was sleeping next to me." Haruhi recalled and a small smile lingered on her lips.

"I better finish up my shower soon; I don't want to keep him waiting though," she stopped at that, "Wait, what am I saying? **I** don't want **him** to keep waiting? I think I've lost my mind…" she laughed nervously at the thought.

As quickly as she could, she finished her shower in the next five minutes.

---

Mori finished preparing the drinks he made earlier and was now waiting for Haruhi to finish her shower. '_Girls _**do**_ take a long time to shower_,' he chuckled inwardly and smiled a gentle smile when Haruhi appeared, at the kitchenette door, in a shower robe with her hair dried up in a bundle of fluffy cream towel, which successfully complimented the colour of her skin.

"Ah, Mori-senpai," she greeted, "Sorry I took so long in the shower. You could go take your shower now."

Mori beckoned to the tea he made earlier, "Drink first." Haruhi gradually took a sit across from Mori on the breakfast bar. She took the hot tea cup, carefully holding it in her two delicate hands, and inhaled the tea slowly. She took a small sip, taking her time to savor the flavor.

Mori was watching her intently, '_she looks really cute, even when she's only drinking tea._' With that thought in his head, his heart skipped a beat. He took his tea cup abruptly and sipped its contents, hiding the slight blush forming on his cheeks. His gaze lingered on her for a moment too long when her eyes gazed back at him. He darted his eyes off of Haruhi quickly (but knew it was a little too late when their eyes met) and studied the intricate designs of the kitchenette instead.

---

Haruhi was still sipping her hot cup of tea. When she felt someone intently gazing at her, she lifted her eyes from the cup's contents and gazed back, at Mori. And when he suddenly darted his eyes to look at something above her, she hid an amused smile behind the tea cup. She chuckled inwardly at his behavior.

'_He's acting so ka-wa-ii,_' she thought silently while studying his expression, '_wait, did I just say ka-wa-ii? There's definitely something wrong with me._' She then noticed a faint pink tinge appearing on Mori's cheeks. '_Ah. He's… blushing._' This thought made her chuckle loudly. And when she realized what she just did, she froze in her seat.

'_Crap! He heard that! He did, did he?_'

Suddenly, Mori averted his gaze back to her. They locked gazes in what felt like an eternity (in reality, it occurred for only a couple of minutes). Haruhi could feel her blood rushing to her cheeks, she could feel her ears turning hot and she especially could feel **his** intense gaze on her.

'_He heard it…_' she groaned inwardly and blushed even furiously when he kept gazing at her.

'**Say** _something. Say_ **anything**.' Haruhi was frantically raking through her brain, searching for something smart to say. Anything, **at all**, to say. Instead of locking gazes, instead of sipping tea, instead of blushing so furiously!

Haruhi averted her gaze, because that's the only thing she could do for now, to stare at her tea cup.

She stopped drinking. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Haruhi noticed that Mori was still gazing at her ever so intently, watching her, studying her every move. She lay the tea cup down slowly, and it landed with a soft thud on the bar.

Her heart was racing, and her face, as red as strawberries. With her head still on the direction of the tea cup, she slowly lifted her eyes (only her eyes) and looked at him through her thick, dark lashes. She batted them slowly while looking straight at the third year senior.

Because Haruhi was a rather, ahem, dense character, she didn't know (absolutely having no clue whatsoever) that she was actually **flirting** with Mori.

"Mori-…senpai," she started ever so gently.

---

Mori's eyes widen slightly (to others, they wouldn't be able to notice the slight change). He knew that move **and** that look. As a host, he knew every single move **and** look a woman would give out to a man, be it to flirt, love, hate, envy etc. He definitely, and would therefore, confidently knew (whether willing or not) that **Haruhi** was **flirting** with **him**.

'_Woah…_' was the only word that came across his mind at the moment, it was the **only** word he could think of, as he processed the signs he saw one minute ago. '_I bet she's not_ **aware** _that she's actually _**flirting** _with me right now_.' He smirked behind the tea cup, as he slowly sipped his tea.

"Hmm?" Mori replied when she called his name.

"You should take your shower now, before school time starts." she explained slowly, unintentionally, in a husky tone. '_Definitely unaware_,' his dark gray eyes twinkled and he fought the urge to smile mischievously at the girl sitting across from him. So, he opted to grunt instead.

---

Haruhi stood up. "I'll take these to clean," she took their teacups and went to wash them. Mori stood up and followed her from behind. He watched her work, quietly, still not attempting **or** moving to take his shower.

Haruhi sensed a silent presence lingering behind her. She turned around and nearly bumped into his chest.

"Mori-senpai!" she said, startled, and then began to scrutinize him intently.

"Senpai," Haruhi started again, as she looked deep into his eyes, with her huge brown eyes.

"Ah," he replied back with his usual single syllable.

"You haven't taken your shower yet." she stated matter-of-factly.

"Ah." He concluded simply.

"Senpai…" she trailed off (**A/N: imagine how a mother warned her children when they didn't listen to her request; Haruhi's tone is like that**). He chuckled inwardly at the tone in her voice.

Before he had a chance to even reply to her, she tugged his arm and dragged him to the bathroom (Haruhi had to use more force in dragging Mori, because you know, he's tall, and strong, and well, heavier?). She pushed him inside and stood at the doorway, with one hand on her hip. She didn't budge when he didn't make any sign to move.

"Senpai. Shower," she ordered, "now."

A smile tugged on his lips. 'She's _even cuter when she's standing like that_,' he chuckled thoughtfully, '_and_ **way** _cuter when she's mad_.' Haruhi narrowed her eyes at her senpai and pouted her lips slightly, hand still on her hip. Then her expression lightened and softened. A sweet smile was playing on her lips. Mori wondered if she was okay.

"…Taka-…kun," Haruhi said sweetly, like when one of the customers called the host club member's names, "take your shower, ne?" she batted her lashes softly and tilted her head to one side.

Mori, upon hearing his first name called by Haruhi, froze at his spot. Blood came rushing to his cheeks, and his face was stark red. He immediately turned around and went to the shower, before quickly taking the essentials items he needed. His choice of shampoo was vanilla-scented.

Haruhi smirked at the doorway when Mori decided to turn around and head to the shower. She then went to the dressing room, after closing the bathroom door behind her, and changed into her school uniform.

"He **definitely** didn't see **that** coming," she muttered out loud, amused somehow by the turn of events. '_I think I'm becoming like Kyouya-senpai_,' she smirked inwardly, '_this is what would happened when you spend _**too much time**_ with the host club_.'

With that, she walked out of the dressing room to wait for Mori at the Third Music Room's hosting hall.

*:*:*:*:*:*

A/N: Okay! As usual, love/hate, review/critic, and suggest. Flames are rubies! XD


	3. One Syllable Word

Disclaimer: I do NOT own OHSHC. All credits go to Bisco Hatori ^^

_Italics_ are thoughts while **bolds** emphasizes a word.

Slight OOC, maybe. ^^

Okay! On with the next chapter!

---

**Chapter 3.**

Once Mori was finished with his shower and have already gotten dressed, he went to the hosting hall to meet with Haruhi. She was sitting on the window ledge; one leg dangled and sprawled to the floor. The large window was overlooking the courtyard, filled with full bloom of cherry blossom trees. The early morning sun had already begun to rise above the horizon, basking the whole scenery outside with a soft glow.

He noticed a gentle smile, lingering on her pink lips. He smiled inwardly at this thought and complimented her silently of her beauty. He strode to her spot quietly, being very careful to not make her notice of his presence.

Haruhi of course, was in her train of thoughts. She already called her Dad, when Mori was in the showers, and apologized for not going home last night. She explained briefly that she had fallen asleep in the library when she was over-studying last night.

'_A tiny white lie would never hurt, right?_' she pondered silently, '_it's not like I'm gonna tell him that Mori-senpai fell asleep on my lap and then I didn't want to wake him up, so I opted to stay here with him instead…_'

Being Ranka-san, he knew that Haruhi was actually lying; it's a Dad's instinct. Kyouya had informed him about last night's event. He didn't mind though because it was Mori-kun. But, if it was that idiotic Tamaki, he would've sprinted to the school in mere seconds and snatched Haruhi away, taking her home.

"Haruhi," he called out gently.

"Ah," Haruhi turned around to see Mori standing a few inches from her, "Mori-senpai, you're done already?"

"Ah." He smiled knowingly and Haruhi replied his smile with her own gentle smile.

"Do you want to go for a walk with me, at the courtyard?" she invited, still holding her smile on her lips.

"Sure."

They took their time to reach the courtyard. Since it was still very early in the morning, no students have arrived yet at the Academy. Once they reached the courtyard, the morning cool breeze caressed Haruhi's skin when they came in contact with each other. She felt goose bumps rise up her spine and she shivered slightly. Mori noticed her slight shiver, so he stood nearer to her (as near he as he dared) and walked side-by-side.

They stopped at an opened small field and went to sit at the wooden bench, situated under a large cherry blossom tree. The warmth from the morning sun made her skin tingle. She lifted her face to the direction of the sun in order to bask in the warmth, her hands were clasped together on her lap; her legs sprawled out on the luscious green grass.

Mori sat beside her, studying her every expression. He noted the way her cheeks flushed faintly under the sun's glow. He noted the way her thick lashes lay gently on her flushed cheeks. He noted the way she relaxed herself, just sitting there quietly enjoying the moment. He noted the way her lips curved up slightly at the end, giving her a gentle smile. He noted the way her hair moved gently when the wind blew by. He noted, at that exact moment, how beautiful she actually was.

And a gentle smile began to form on his lips.

She turned her body towards him, and caught him staring at her so… lovingly. A faint crimson shade developed along her cheeks. She also noticed a slight pink tinge along his cheeks when she caught him staring. She chuckled softly and Mori lifted his brow and a crooked smile formed on his lips, a sign indicating, '_what's so funny?_'

"Nothing senpai," she muffled a laugh, "there's nothing funny." She chuckled again.

'_Her face is so… so _radiant_ when she laughs,_' he noted thoughtfully, '_I should do this more often if I want to see that laughter again._'

"Haruhi," he called in his ever monotone voice.

"Hmm? What is it, senpai?" she tilted her head to one side. '_Man, she's cute,_' Mori commented silently.

"Breakfast," he answered.

"Ah. Okay. Let's go," she stood up gracefully and, without thinking about it at all, she offered him her hand. "Come on, senpai." Mori was, of course, dumbfounded. Haruhi smiled her genuine smile and took his hand while leading the way to the Academy's cafeteria.

He stared, for a very long time while being dragged along by Haruhi, at their intertwined hands. He smiled fondly and had a sense of déjà vu as he somehow felt that this had happened before. Then it clicked to him, it happened yesterday, but it was **him** who took hold of her hand. Now, the situation is reversed. He chuckled inwardly at his inside joke.

For a very klutzy person, Haruhi was rather graceful. She strode along the empty corridor, with Mori in hand. Usually, she'd stumbled once or twice, even if it was a straight path. It might have had to do with her sudden good mood for her to walk so gracefully.

She enjoyed the silence enveloping them, since this kind of silence rarely came by. Spending time with the rest of the host, proved to be rather hectic and noisy. Especially around Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru. Hani she could handle, Kyouya… is Kyouya (not much to do there but she would avoid him at all cost since he's somewhat sinister) and Mori is her tranquility. She smiled at that thought.

They finally arrived at the cafeteria. Thankfully, the school's chefs have already begun to prepare for breakfast. They were indeed surprise to see the two students in this early morning. They gave quick, questioning glances with each other, then, decidedly, to just ignore it.

Mori and Haruhi were still deciding on what to order, as they stopped by the counter. The chefs were studying them from afar, looking from one student to the other, then back again as they followed the argument between the two.

"My treat," Mori spoke out, still smiling at her.

"Eh?" Her brown eyes grew wide at his offer. "Thatwon'tbenecessary, Mori-senpai," she blurted out, "I ca-"

"Nn. It's okay," he interrupted before she could say any further, "for… taking care of me. Last night." When he said this, his face flushed faintly. Haruhi also blushed at his words. And all the chefs raised their brows, eyeing one another (**A/N: talk about nosy chefs XD**).

Did they hear that right? Then one of the young chefs appeared suddenly behind the counter, posting the oh-so-friendly-fake smile, waiting to take their orders. But! He has a hidden scheme, yes? Yes, he does! He intended to venture upon the conversation between these two students, as if to confirm of a gossip that had surfaced just three minutes ago. (**A/N: very nosy chef =_=**)

Mori and Haruhi stopped talking immediately when the chef arrived. Mori decided to order the American breakfast set 'A' and freshly squeezed orange juice for two. Mori paid for the orders and led Haruhi to a small round table, with a slender crystal vase filled with a single red rose on the center of it, at the far corner of the cafeteria, next to the large window over-looking the cherry blossom scenery. He took out her chair and offered her to sit down; she smiled and nodded as a thank you.

They both gazed out at the scenery, while waiting for their orders to arrive, each pondering on their own thoughts.

Back at the kitchen, the chefs, who were peeking behind the counter (with half their heads visible), eyed the two students with gleeful expressions. They knew who the tall student is, but what perked their interest was who the shorter brunette is. They knew every elite family in this Academy, but they never came across 'him', they only knew that 'he' is a special student at Ouran Private Academy, sent here by a scholarship.

Now, they have witnessed an intense relationship between the two. They knew that intensity; it was **love**, not the brotherhood kind of love, but the **real** love, as in love-love. They decided to watch the event unfold by itself. (**A/N: is it me, or are their minds too complicated to understand?**)

As expected from the high-renowned chefs of the world, their orders came by in five minutes, superbly and elegantly prepared. The orange juice Haruhi held in her hand was… sparkling. Literally sparkling, as if tiny diamond flecks were thrown into the juice. Haruhi eyed the juice skeptically, afraid to drink its contents. '_It really looks… expensive_,' she stated silently.

Mori was already in the process of finishing his breakfast. When he looked at Haruhi, he noticed she wasn't even touching her food yet but eyeing at the juice she held in her hand. He chuckled inwardly at her expression.

"Eat," he stated, "before the food's cold."

Haruhi averted eyes from her glass to look at Mori. "Ah." They stopped together and looked at each other, before bursting out laughing at her reply. It seemed like Haruhi has the same utter-a-single-syllable symptom just like Mori's.

Both of their faces were red when their laughter died, caused by too much laughter of course, and continued to eat, chuckling and eyeing each other every now and then.

---

As school time neared, more and more students began to arrive at the Academy. They were dropped off by their chauffeurs in glossy, black limousines. Some opted to drive themselves to school with trendy sports cars ranging from a blood red Ferrari, to a silver Audi, to a yellow canary Lamborghini.

Mori and Haruhi walked side-by-side to the Third Music Room, since it was still early for class to start. They had approximately an hour plus. When they opened the doors to the Third Music Room, they were greeted by surprised faces, with the exception from Kyouya and Hani, because we know they know that Haruhi and Mori were at school since last night.

"Haru-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!" The loli-shota came sprinting towards her. Haruhi **knew** that move because she had experienced them before. So, she readily opened her arms to catch him, bracing for the impact. Fortunately, Haruhi only staggered a little, thanks to Mori who was standing behind her, ready to keep her steady.

"Ne, ne! Haru-chan!" Hani started adorably, grinning from ear to ear. (**A/N: how the hell can he be 18-years old?**)

"Hai, Hani-senpai?" she asked as she stared into his honey-golden eyes, smiling gently, while cradling him like a little child in her two arms.

"How's your day yesterday?" he whispered gleefully, but loud enough for the others to hear.

Tamaki and the twins narrowed their eyes at the loli-shota type, they knew he was the only one who was able to pull that off, but the jealousy was still there. How they wished (**hah!**) that they were the one in Haruhi's arms. But, since they couldn't do anything about it, they chose to listen instead at the conversation between Haruhi and the third year little senpai. Now, all heads, except for Kyouya since he knew what happened already, turned to the threesome at the doorway.

Both Haruhi and Mori knew what the little senpai meant, so Haruhi bluntly said, "It was wonderful, Hani-senpai." Her eyes glowed and sparkled, a faint pink blush formed on her cheeks, a soft gentle smile lingered on her lips. Upon hearing her answer, Mori developed the same faint pink blush on his cheeks as well. But he kept on his stoic mask. Only his eyes showed the emotion he felt currently.

Hani grinned impossibly wider at her reply. His eyes got impossibly bigger and shone impossibly brighter. Hani gave a swift peck on her cheek and jumped down from her arms. He landed gracefully to the floor and ran to his table laden with cakes.

The others (being Tamaki and the twins) staggered forward from where they were sitting and fell to the floor, in a jumbled heap. They were definitely shocked to the core (well, only Tamaki was) when they saw what Hani did to Haruhi and the undeniable faint blushes from Haruhi **and** Mori, which happened **at the same time.**

"Hikaru. Kaoru." The Host King instantly got up from the jumbled heap, one finger held up in the air.

"Yes boss!" they replied and saluted with unison, at their Tono.

They instantly went to the corner of the room, no doubt plotting idiotic things again. Haruhi and Mori stared at them blankly and decided to ignore them; they went to Hani's table. The Shadow King was in his usual spot, fingers busily typing in more data. _Tap. Tap. Tap._

His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He took a short pause to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. In doing so, his glasses glinted and that glint hid his now sinister eyes. "Interesting…" he muttered, too low for anyone to hear. A smirk formed on his lips. Then he continued to type into his loyal Pineapple laptop.

"Devil twins," Tamaki started, referring to Hikaru and Kaoru, "did you see what had just happened?" his eyes grew wide in shock, then narrowed curiously.

"How come she looks so happy like that?" Hikaru muttered angrily, "She's even… blushing. Did she think we wouldn't have noticed it?" his hands were shaking now, trying to control his anger. "It's like… it's like she's in love with Mori-senpai."

"Hikaru…" Kaoru mumbled, pity lacing his tone. He knew his twin brother loved Haruhi, just like he loved her too. Even if their Tono wasn't aware about it, Kaoru knew deep down that Tamaki loved her too.

Upon hearing Hikaru saying Haruhi loved Mori, Tamaki dropped his jaw to the floor. His soul flew out of his body, carried high away by the wind that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

And he snapped back to reality.

"Hikaru. Kaoru," he stated again, the twins stared at their Tono questioningly. "We have to do something. We have to keep **our** precious Haruhi from getting too close with Mori-senpai." He declared and throws his fist into the air.

The twins looked at each other, their Cheshire grin forming slowly on their lips. Tamaki rubbed his two palms together, smiling evilly with mischievous, narrowed eyes as he huddled closer with the twins and started to plot something, probably involves a lot of idiotic things.

---

**A/N: Do your thing! Love/Flame, Review/Critic, and Suggest. Flames will be turned to rubies! And reviews are given cookies! XD**

**I wonder what Tamaki has in mind…**


	4. Hani's Declaration

_Okay. First off, I'd like to thank all of you for reading this fanfic of mine. I know it's probably not good enough, but I really appreciate that you would take the time to read it._

_And to those who have given me reviews, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Hehe. I'm glad you liked my story. _

_XD_

On with the next chapter!

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own OHSHC or its characters.**

**---**

**Chapter 4**

"Since yesterday's meeting was cancelled," Kyouya started, gaining each of the member's attention, "I propose we should get on with it today, before anymore _interruption_ ensues." His last note was definitely laced with sarcasm.

Haruhi and Mori suppressed a blush, but they act as if what Kyouya said didn't mean a thing.

Kyouya was typing endless data into his trustworthy Pineapple laptop when he made the announcement. He was sitting at their meeting table. Tamaki swiftly stood up from the huddled group earlier and strode off to the table, when Kyouya made the announcement. Hikaru and Kaoru joined them a minute later, linking their arms and walking together in perfect unison. Mori and Haruhi waited for Hani to finish his last strawberry cheesecake, before making their way to the meeting table.

Tamaki took the head position, because he claimed that he was the King of the Host Club and so, it should more than appropriate for him to sit there. Kyouya sat on his right side, followed by the twins. Haruhi sat on his left side, as Tamaki persistently requested that she should sit there, followed by the third year seniors.

"Shall we ge-" Kyouya began.

"Are all my subordinates present?" Tamaki asked, with a (huge) hint of superiority in his voice, and interrupted Kyouya's speech, accidentally.

Kyouya's mouth twitched a tiny bit. His glasses glinted as he pushed it up the bridge of his nose, before giving Tamaki a death lightning glare that only lasted for two seconds. Tamaki was horrified at his absurdity (**wow**) for interrupting Kyouya and his face immediately drained of colour. He shrank into his chair, trying his best to stay away from his best friend. But with no luck.

"K-Kyouya, I-I'm s-" Tamaki stuttered, before he was silenced by another one of Kyouya's death lightning glare. He retreated to his dark corner of woe.

The twins snickered lowly; hands covered their mouth as they tried to hold in their laughter. The other three watched on with no interest. Haruhi sighed heavily. "Can we get on with this?" she stated.

Kyouya cleared his throat before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again. "As I was saying earlier, before I was _interrupted,_" another glare shot to Tamaki, "I want to discuss with all of you regarding this weekend's special event. Tamaki, since this is your idea, if you please," Kyouya said and continued to type in more data in his laptop.

Tamaki appeared suddenly at the head of the table, as if the early ordeal didn't happen at all, and began to propose his idea for the special event.

"Ah, yes," Tamaki started with an air of arrogance in his voice, "I was thinking that, for this special event, we should do a two-day occasion." He was now sitting like one of those spoiled Kings, with his left leg on the chair, the other sprawled on the floor. He rested his elbow on the armrest and placed his chin on his hand, his pinky finger lifted slightly. His other hand was placed on the other armrest.

He continued, "These two occasions will be held during the weekend. I suggested to Kyouya yesterday, that we should do a concert on Saturday, while on Sunday, a summer beach party." Tamaki was beaming now; he thought that his current ideas were far better than the ones before, he was (too) proud of himself at his current, _ahem_, achievements.

"But Tono," Kaoru said, suddenly interrupting his Tono's imaginations.

"What kind of concert," Hikaru continued.

"Will that be?" they finished in perfect unison, while they looked at each other, shoulders raised up in a shrugging gesture.

"A-ah, I haven't t-think of the theme yet," Tamaki was flustered, his face slowly turning red. The twins snickered evilly; they had a chance to tease Tamaki now.

"Ne, ne Hikaru," Kaoru whispered loudly to his twin's ear, "Did you hear? Somebody forgot to pick out a theme for a concert he suggested (**stab!**)," his eyes glinting mischievously.

"Ah, I heard, Kaoru," Hikaru whispered loudly back to his twin, "How could somebody have forgotten an important thing like that (**stab!**)?" His eyes matching that of his twin's.

"I mean, what's a concert without a theme (**stab!**)?" Kaoru pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right Kaoru," Hikaru continued, "he should have thought about it first (**stab!**)"

They continued to tease Tamaki, and then Kyouya smirked and decided to join in the fun as well.

"Clearly, whoever suggested these events is highly inefficient (**stab!**) and incompetent (**stab!**). Not to mention, without even preparing beforehand for this meeting (**stab!**), it is clearly a waste of time (**stab!**) and as an Ootori, I believed that time is a precious thing (**stab!**). I could've been doing other important matters (**stab!**), rather than wasting my time (**stab!**) on poorly prepared meetings (**stab!**)."

Tamaki was lying unconscious in his chair. His legs were twitching every now and then. His spirit flew out of his body earlier, and now, he became an empty human shell.

"Tama-chan," Hani called out and went to Tamaki's chair. He began to poke his left arm, repeatedly. Finding no responds from Tamaki, Hani jumped onto Haruhi's lap and took his nap. Haruhi stared at the little boy sleeping on her lap, and couldn't help but smile a little as she recalled last night's event. Mori watched his little cousin, napping on the lap of the girl he liked, and then averted his eyes to gaze at Haruhi's expression. He smiled when Haruhi met his eyes.

"Back to the meeting," Kyouya spoke quietly, gaining everyone's (except Hani and Tamaki) attention. "Any of you have suggestions for the theme for the concert?" Kyouya continued, without looking up from his laptop as he typed in data.

"Kyouya-senpai, how about… a rock concert?" Kaoru suggested. "We could play as a band, and then decide which of us should sing during the concert."

"That's a great idea Kaoru," Hikaru agreed, "since we haven't done a rock theme before. How about it, Kyouya-senpai?"

"It's true we haven't done a rock theme yet," Kyouya pondered. '_I bet there would be _**plenty**_ of profit if we did a rock theme, not to mention the sales of merchandise would sky-rocket off of the roof,_' he thought silently while a smirk formed slowly on his lips.

'_I bet he's thinking of gaining more profits_,' the others thought at the same time and grimaced when the Shadow King smirked evilly.

"Alright, it's decided," Kyouya suddenly announced, "We would do a rock theme for the concert, do any of you disagree?" he referred to Haruhi and Mori.

"I think that's fine," Haruhi answered.

"Hn," Mori grunted in reply.

"Okay then, I shall divide the work between all of you," Kyouya said, talking in his business-like voice, "Hikaru, Kaoru," he looked at the twins, "You shall be responsible for the rock's theme attire. Haruhi and Mori-senpai," he directed his eyes to the other two, "You shall be responsible for the decorations for concert."

The twins nodded in agreement, and they were grinning to each other. They were really happy with the work they were given; fashion _is_ their specialty after all. Haruhi and Mori nodded silently, and smiled to each other. Both felt thankful to be able to work together, glad to have peace without the presence of Tamaki and the twins, who could have been more than talkative and annoying.

"Mori-senpai," Kyouya called out, "Would you let Hani-senpai know, once he woke up from his nap, that he'll be responsible for the food for the concert?" Mori nodded once in reply.

"We'll discuss about the summer beach party tomorrow," Kyouya announced.

"The meeting shall end now," he stated, "Oh, one more thing," They looked up to the Shadow King, "Since this meeting took too long to finish, as I expected, I have already informed your teachers that you wouldn't be in class for half the day. You may stay here until lunch time or do whatever it is that you please." With that, they were all dismissed.

The twins, with their arms linked together, walked out to the hallway. They much prefer to be somewhere else than sit and do nothing. Kyouya dragged Tamaki's empty human shell out of the Third Music Room; apparently they have a meeting with their sensei before lunch time. Haruhi and Mori were left alone with a sleeping Hani.

Haruhi slowly got up from her chair, being very careful not to wake the loli-shota from his sleep. She knew it wouldn't be wise to wake Hani from his nap, because the **Low Blood Pressure Beast** would resurface. She gently cradled Hani in her arms, being very aware of any movements from the loli-shota. Mori offered his hands to take his cousin from her arms.

"Nn, that's okay. I got it," she whispered, and walked her way to the farthest red velvet sofa, near the window. Yes, it was the same sofa where she _and_ Mori slept at last night. Mori watched her from behind, tagging along, and noted how her hips swayed a little when she walks. Mori's face flushed just a tiny bit, but he cleverly hid it with his stoic mask. Only his eyes gave the emotion he conveyed.

She sat down on the sofa and Mori sat next to her, a few inches apart from each other. She leaned back and adjusted Hani's position, so his head would be on her lap. '_Just like Mori-senpai_,' she thought silently, a smile began to form on her lips. She stroked Hani's golden hair gently and watched his sleeping expression. His thumb was in his mouth and he was breathing evenly. Then, Mori covered Hani with his bunny blanket, which appeared out of thin air.

"Where's Usa-chan?" Haruhi asked out of the blue.

Mori pulled out Usa-chan, Hani's precious stuffed rabbit, out of thin air and handed it to Haruhi. She blinked once, and stared at the pink rabbit in Mori's extended hand, wondering where the hell it appeared from. "Ah, thank you senpai," she said one minute later, and took the stuffed rabbit. She lifted Hani's left arm gently and placed the pink bunny under his arm. Hani stirred in his sleep. '_Just like Mori-senpai,_' she said thoughtfully and smiled at the similarity.

Mori wondered what went on Haruhi's mind at that exact moment. '_She's smiling again_,' he noted for the second time after they sat down, '_She really should smile more. She looks really beautiful when she smiles that way, not that she's not beautiful if she didn't smile. She's always beautiful. What am I saying?'_ Mori's thoughts were jumbled; he seemed to be arguing with himself in the inside.

Haruhi noticed his self-conflict argument, even though he didn't say anything. She noticed the way his eyes were distraught and wondered to herself if he was alright. "Mori-senpai, daijoubu?" Haruhi asked, still whispering, and tilted her head to one side.

Mori was startled and he blushed a little because Haruhi noticed him so easily. "Hn, daijoubu." He nodded, before looking away at the other direction. Haruhi was still staring at Mori, and knowing Mori for a long time already, she knew he wasn't okay. She wondered silently, '_What's wrong with Mori-senpai lately? He always seemed flustered…_'

They sat like that for a very long time, Mori facing the other direction while Haruhi gazed at the sleeping senpai on her lap, stroking his golden hair gently. Mori adjusted himself on the sofa, unaware that the distance between him and the girl sitting next to him was only one inch apart. Haruhi could suddenly feel a warm body heat emanating from the boy sitting next to her. She closed the gap between them by moving closer to him, careful not to wake the golden-haired sleeping boy.

Somehow, Haruhi felt really comfortable to be around or with Mori. She didn't mind his quietness, but rather enjoyed it. Even though he didn't talk much, they could always talk through their eyes. Haruhi's getting better at communicating with him silently. She's able to learn each and every one of his expressions. But there was one thing that was really bothering her. Why did her heart thump so fast whenever they were together?

She knew her heart didn't even beat this fast when she was around Tamaki or the twins, let alone Kyouya. This feeling was really strange for her, almost bizarre and out of the ordinary. She couldn't put it to words or even explained the cause of this quick heart beats. Did it have anything to do with Mori-senpai? But why _only_ with him? Why not the others? Probably because Tamaki was an idiot, the twins were treating her as their 'toy' and Kyouya only thought off raising her debts whenever she made a mistake, be it tiny or huge.

She seriously couldn't understand the feelings she had right now.

For Mori, he knew from the time she called to him to save her from Tamaki's death-gripped hug, and found out that she was actually a girl in the process, that he liked her. It wasn't really complicated to him. When he became a host, he learned to know this feeling of liking someone, of loving someone even. He supposed that the feeling he had for Haruhi came naturally. And he was really glad that she broke that 800 million yen vase, otherwise he wouldn't have met her.

Hani slept until the lunch time and woke to find that his two friends who were staring down at him. "Ne, where's everybody?" Hani asked as he rubbed his left eye with his fist.

"They went somewhere else while you were asleep, Hani-senpai," Haruhi explained.

"Hn," Mori agreed with Haruhi.

"Come, you should be hungry now right? It's nearly lunch time," Haruhi got up from the sofa and started to the door, waiting for her two seniors to follow her. Hani gave out a small yawn before climbing onto his cousin's back. Mori held Hani's legs to prevent him from toppling over and walked to Haruhi. Mori smiled at her and she replied with a smile. "Let's go, Haru-chan, Takashi," Hani said.

"Ah." Both Haruhi and Mori said together. They looked at each other again and suppressed a grin. Both had a faint pink tinge on their cheeks. Hani stared from Mori to Haruhi then back again. He grinned this time, feeling rather happy that something was going to happen soon.

'_I have to help them realize that they _**love**_ each other,_' Hani thought silently, his grin plastered on his face while he began to make plans to bring the two together.

'_And I will stop anyone from interfering,_' he thought again, determined with his decision, '_especially Tama-chan, Hika-chan and Kao-chan._'

---

**A/N: So, how is it? Do you like it? If you do, please review, because that would really motivate me to continue with the next chapter! Reviews are given cookies! Flames shall turn to rubies! XD Ja~ ne.**


	5. Broken China Tea Set

_Thank you to those who gave me reviews~ Cookies to you~ XD_

**Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of Ouran Host Club, go seek Bisco Hatori.**

_Happy reading!_

---

Chapter 5

The final school bell chimed melodiously and the rest of the host club members, except for Haruhi, were already gathered in the Third Music Room. The hosting activities will begin in less than thirty minutes.

"Call the secret police squad! Call the private investigators! CALL JAPAN'S MILITARY ARMY!" cried a desperate Tamaki as he ran around the music room, searching for his 'missing' daughter. "Tell them to find Haruhi! My precious daughter, she is probably abducted! And her Daddy is not around to keep her safe…" he said melodramatically, one hand placed on his forehead as he slumped his back.

"Calm down Tono," Hikaru stated, his tone laced with annoyance while massaging his throbbing temple.

"Haruhi's not missing, Tono," Kaoru continued, "she's just a little late, our sensei held her back after class today. Sensei said he had something to discuss with her." He placed his arm around his twin's waist, encouraging Hikaru to tone down his annoyance at their Tono.

"They're right, Tamaki," Kyouya added, "You don't have to work yourself up. She's still in school. She'll be here once her meeting with her sensei is done." He was reviewing the previous sales on the latest merchandise, gradually typing in more data as needed, and adding a few notes here and there.

"Before hosting activities start," Kyouya stated, without looking up from the screen of his laptop, "Why don't you decide who should sing for the concert, Tamaki?"

"Ah. I've nearly forgotten about that," Tamaki pondered and placed a finger on his lips, "I think that the most likely person to sing during the concert should be… me!" he declared with one fist thrust in the air, a sign of victory.

The twins were looking to each other and shrugged, they didn't have a problem with that, while Kyouya smirked behind his laptop. Mori and Hani weren't really following their conversation, as Hani was busily shoveling more cake into his mouth and Mori was in the middle of reading his book. Kyouya knew that Tamaki would probably be the most suitable person to sing, since he aced his singing classes.

'_This should be interesting_,' he pondered silently and noted that down into his laptop.

"But Tono," Kaoru started this time.

"What song are you gonna sing during the concert?" Hikaru continued.

"Since it's a **rock** concert after all," The twins said together.

When Tamaki was in the midst of his thoughts on choosing what song to sing, the twins came up with a brilliant idea. "Hey Tono~" the twins interrupted Tamaki in his indecisive thoughts, and stood at either side of him. Tamaki stared from one twin to another, almost guarded.

"Why don't you perform _Shissou _during the concert? You seem to like that song a lot, you even practically assigned it for our ringtones when you called~" they chorused while poking at Tamaki's face, one twin at each side.

"Hmm," he took a moment of thought, "You're right! I should! Where's my daughter?" he whirled around to see whether Haruhi was anywhere near, but sadly, she still wasn't there.

"Haruhi should sing _Sakura Kiss_!" Tamaki declared and threw his fist into the empty air, again. The twins nodded in agreement, grinning slyly to one another.

Kyouya stopped his typing and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose while it glinted in the light; it made Kyouya seem somewhat evil, as if he was plotting something so sinister in his calculated mind. "This should be interesting," He muttered to himself, too low for the others to hear. However, they could sense the evil aura emanating from Kyouya and they backed away to a safer place. The twins and their Tono discussed on the attire for the event, while Kyouya continued to type in more data and statistics into his Pineapple laptop.

---

Ten minutes later, Haruhi entered the Third Music Room. "Ah, sorry I'm la-" was what she was about to say, before the twins and Tamaki immediately took hold of her: the twins at her sides holding her arms and Tamaki at the back, gripping her tightly.

"Ne, ne, Haruhi," Hikaru started off.

"Whatever it is, the answer is no," Haruhi stated firmly, eyes narrowing indicating her annoyance.

"We want you to sing _Sakura Kiss_ during the concert," Kaoru finished, ignoring Haruhi's early statement.

"Yes, wouldn't it be fun, my precious daughter, for you to sing during the concert along with Otou-san?" Tamaki coaxed her while placing his arms around her small frame.

"No." she stated again, holding her ground. She refused to oblige to their requests.

"Why should I sing too? Isn't it enough for you to sing, Tamaki-senpai? Besides, why are we holding a concert again? Do you guys even play instruments?" she said indifferently, she seemed to forget the fact that she had no problems with the concert during the meeting yesterday.

"Of course we do, Haruhi," Hikaru answered, almost taken aback by her indifference attitude.

"Everyone in this club knows how to play at least one instrument," Kaoru continued, while patting Hikaru's back, comforting his twin from Haruhi's indifferent questions.

"Even though you only see Tono play the piano, doesn't mean we don't know how to play it," they said in unison, "besides, our parents made us practice music since we were small. We just never showed it." They shrugged simultaneously. Haruhi gritted her teeth, muttering '_damn rich bastards..._'

"So, my precious daughter, would you sing with Daddy during the concert?" Tamaki asked.

By this time, their grips on Haruhi's small frame tightened further, enabling her futile attempts in escaping.

"Eh? No. I don't want to. Now, get off me." Haruhi shrugged off, she tried to make an escape from the three idiots, but failed miserably in the end as their grips tightened around her even more, making her struggling for air desperately.

"Mori-senpai!" one hand reached out to her silent companion as she struggled to escape.

With speed of lightning, Mori swiftly lifted her up from their clutches and placed her in one of his arms, just like during The Tropical Aqua Garden incident. "Thank you, Mori-senpai." she said, relief washed over her as she greedily breath in more air into her lungs, and Mori replied with an "Ah." He was still holding her small body in his arm.

Haruhi felt really grateful for him to rescue her, subconsciously placing her right hand on his left shoulder, and clutching to his blazer tightly. Mori held on to her tighter when she did this, easily supporting her weight in one arm, so she didn't have to put her whole weight in her right hand.

Haruhi, of course, was oblivious to her own actions. She didn't notice the jealousy erupting from the three boys in front of her. Mori carried Haruhi to his and Hani's table, Hani was enjoying a mountain heap of cakes. Pink puffy flowers appeared magically around his head, giving him the Loli-Shota look.

"Ne, ne, Haru-chan~" Hani stared up to her with those adorable, honey-brown wide eyes of his. "Do you want some cake?"

"Iie. That's okay, Hani-senpai. Why don't you just enjoy them for me?" she said, refusing his offer politely and smiled gently in addition, as to not offend him.

"Haiiiiiiiii~" he said happily and with that, he devoured all the cakes while grinning to his two friends every now and then.

---

Hani seemed really happy and gave out a triumphant smile when he saw what happened five minutes ago. In secret, he knows that his cousin actually likes the brunette girl sitting next to him. His plans went on nicely.

"Haruhi," Kyouya interrupted without looking up, fingers gliding swiftly on the keys of his Pineapple laptop and everybody stopped what they were doing. "If you don't sing during the concert, I'm going to have to increase your debt by $10,000."

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and it glinted off, shielding his eyes from everyone in that room. Haruhi and the rest of the host members knew that look. It was his '_if-you're-not-going-to-follow-what-I-say-there's-going-to-be-a-hell-lot-of-consequences-to-pay_' look.

Haruhi shuddered and silently agreed to sing during the event.

---

_**The Host Club is opened for business.**_

There was no theme for the hosting activities today. They wore their usual Ouran blazer. The Host King was entertaining a bunch of his usual designators; he started his prince-like charade and whispered sweet-nothings to one of the princesses, whose face was now so red and her breathing started to hitch, she could have fainted immediately.

"Hime," Tamaki whispered softly while holding the princess in his arms, "you resembled a rose; beautiful in its brilliancy. Your lips are as soft as the rose petals, may I kiss you, princess?" he traced his index finger faintly on her lips, gazing her eyes intently.

"T-Tamaki-sama," she said, flustered, "Wh-what would the others s-say?" she blushed furiously, her heart skipped a beat.

"Fear not, my princess," Tamaki whispered again, "If you wish, we could pretend that we are alone right now," and the maiden nearly passed out as Tamaki leaned in closer.

"KYAAAAAAA! TAMAKI-SAMA!" his other princesses squealed in delight, grasping each other's hands, "I'm next! I'm next!"

---

_**At the twins table…**_

The twins were enjoying some tea with a flock of girls who had designated them. Hikaru was telling the girls about their childhood photos, saying that Kaoru had one embarrassing photo in his underwear. The girls giggled in delight by this new information they received.

"Hikaru!" his twin exclaimed, a blush forming on his pale cheeks, "Why did you tell them that? I thought you promised not to mention it to anybody. You swore to keep it to yourself only!" Kaoru's face turned the other way, away from Hikaru's, tears threatening to flow down.

"Kaoru…" Hikaru muttered, feeling ashamed for forgetting his oath, "Kaoru, I'm sorry," he clasped his twin's hands in his and used one finger to turn Kaoru's face to him.

The girls were wide eyed; they seemed to stop breathing as they watched the brotherly love scene in front of them. They held each other's hands, waiting for the events to unfold.

"Kaoru, look at me," Hikaru started when his twin casted his head downwards, away from Hikaru's gaze, "You know I only meant to tease you," Hikaru whispered gently as he lifted Kaoru's chin and gazed into his eyes as he held Kaoru's body closer to his, "I'm sorry for forgetting my oath, it's just that, I love to see your reactions. I never meant to hurt your feelings…" he trailed off.

"Hikaru…" Kaoru muttered as he gazed into his twin's eyes.

"Kaoru…" Hikaru replied, guilt lacing his tone, and then they embraced.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the girls squealed as they bounced in their seats, "brotherly love is the best!"

---

_**At Kyouya's table…**_

"Have you lovely ladies bought the latest issue of the Perfect Photobook collection yet?" Kyouya pondered politely, as he entertained a few of his designators, one hand holding a black pen and the other his faithful black notebook.

"Ah, are the latest issues out already, Kyouya-sama?" one girl asked as she placed the teacup she held gently on the table. The other two listened intently at the conversation.

"Yes, hime. They were just finished from production; I took the liberty to notify you lovely princesses first," he smiled his hosting smile, no smirk, no hidden evil intention. "Would you like to buy a separate Photobook or the whole collection set?"

"The whole collection set please!" the three ladies exclaimed together, seemingly happy as they held their purses in their hands, ready to purchase the said collection.

'_More profits for the host club, perfect,_' he smirked inwardly while producing the Photobook collection set out of thin air.

---

_**At the third year seniors, Mori and Hani's, table…**_

"Cake! Cake!" Hani chanted happily, cute pick flowers danced around his head, while he busily shoveled the desserts into his mouth.

"Hani-senpai, would you like to try this cake? I brought it from home today, I made it especially for you," a freshman from class 1-B asked, and offered a small white box containing the cake.

"Sure!" Hani replied enthusiastically, and took the cake box from the freshman's hands. Mori opened the lid and it revealed a blueberry cheesecake. Hani scoop a spoonful and shove it into his mouth. The girl waited nervously for his comment, and then the senior's eyes turned wide.

"Wah! This is so good!" he exclaimed, the girl smiled happily, "I love it!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Hani-senpai is so kawaii!!"

"Mitsukuni," Mori said, "there's blueberry jam," he produced a small white napkin and wiped his cousin's mouth.

"Thanks Takashi!" he grinned happily to his cousin and turned back to his cakes, shoveling every piece of cake available on the table. More pink flowers appeared and danced around his head.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

"Mori-senpai is so caring!"

After finishing all the cakes on the table, Hani produced a small yawn. "Nap time," he mumbled and laid his head down on one of the girl's lap. The said girl blushed slightly at Hani's sleeping form. Mori tucked his cousin with the bunny blanket, and placed BunBun under Hani's arm. Mori excused himself and went to sit at the window ledge; the girls on their table were watching Hani sleep.

Mori gazed out into the courtyard as cherry blossom petals fell down from their trees. He was in his train of thoughts again. '_I wonder what Haruhi is doing…_' he stole a glance towards her table, being very stealthy so no one would catch him doing this. He put on his stoic mask so nobody would suspect anything.

'_She looks like she's enjoying her time hosting with the ladies,_' he examined out of the corner of his eye and then he caught her bubbly laughter, '_I wonder what has been said to make her laugh so… carefree like that,' _he put his hand on the side of his face, to hid a smile which threatened to show, '_she could always make me smile like this, even from the smallest things she does…_'

Then he heard a small yawn and saw the crown of golden hair from the sofa, '_Mitsukuni is up,_' he said silently, '_time to get back to hosting activities…_' Mori stood up from the window ledge and strode to their usual table, he saw Hani already started shoveling his third cake.

---

_**At Haruhi's table…**_

"Haruhi-kun," one of her designators called, looking at Haruhi's face, "Your face is so radiant lately, did something good happen?"

"Ah. It is? I've never notice it before," she gave out a bubbly laughter, "But, your face is more radiant than I do," she gave her a natural smile while gazing at the girl who complimented her earlier.

The girl blushed slightly, embarrassed by Haruhi's compliment towards her. The other girls swooned in delight at the Natural Rookie's smile. Then she stole a glance at Mori's table, when nobody seemed to notice. She saw him wiping Hani's mouth with a napkin when Hani started his second round of cakes, immediately after his nap. She smiled at his devoted attitude towards his cousin, before turning her gaze back to the girls in front of her. She noticed something missing on their table.

"Oh, I forgot to bring the tea," Haruhi started to get up from her chair, "I'm sorry, I'll go get it now," she excused herself when one of her designators called out, "Haruhi-kun, do you need any help?"

Haruhi turned back to look at her, "No, that's okay. I don't want to trouble you with such an easy task," she smiled her natural smile again before going to the kitchenette. She heard a distant "KYAAAAAA! Haruhi-kun is such a gentleman!"

When she returned from the kitchenette with a tray of tea set in her hand, she didn't notice a small lump of an object on the floor, which was directly in her way. Minutes after, she got her feet tangled with the object and accidentally slipped the tray from her grasp. It landed with a crash. As she tried to get up, she noticed a searing pain coming from her right hand.

"Crap," she muttered as she examined her right hand, "My hand must've accidentally landed on the broken china…"

Seconds after she muttered to herself, two large hands swiftly took hold of her injured right hand in his.

---

**A/N: Yay, another chapter done! So, do your thing! Make me happy with reviews! XD**

**The next chapter is being written as we speak. I may or may not publish it, because it highly depends on YOU! Yes, you, my dearest readers. :D**

**If I have 5 reviews or more, I'll do my job and end your anticipation!**

**(skips away merrily)**


	6. Devious Plans Part 1

**A/N: I decided to post the next chapter up because I feel impatient, even though I didn't get the amount of reviews I requested yesterday (yes, I am as selfish as Tamaki). And since my loyal readers aren't able to hold their anticipation any longer (I think), I shall end it now. So, on with the next chapter!**

_**To Narcoleptic 11235**__ – thank you for the compliment! I believe I can be as devious and as brilliant as I need to when I really want something (I feel Kyouya-ish: _what he wants, he gets_.) And I really need that in order to produce more chapters for this story (insert evil laugh here). XD_

_Also, as a MorixHaruhi pairing fan, I feel that I am obliged to carry out my duties and produce this fanfic here._

_To the others who have given me reviews, I highly appreciated them! Cookies to you!_

**Okay, enough of my ramblings. Get on with the reading! :D**

*******

**Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of Ouran, kindly seek Bisco Hatori. XD**

---

Previously,

_Seconds after she muttered to herself, two large hands swiftly took hold of her injured right hand in his._

---

**Chapter 6 Part I**

Once Haruhi returned from the kitchenette, Mori was watching her from the corner of his eye. Instantly before the tray crashed to the polished floors of the Third Music Room, Mori swiftly stood up from his chair, with a confused Hani, in the middle of shoveling a piece of cake, staring after him, and sprinted his way to Haruhi. The others were too shocked to register what had happened when they heard the crash, only Kyouya remained calm in situations like this.

The Third Music Room's occupants were holding in their breath, especially the ladies. Hani was in the verge of tears when he saw Haruhi got injured.

Mori kneeled down to the floor and immediately took hold of her injured hand, gently placing it between his hands. He examined the extent of her injury carefully and noted that a piece of broken china had pierced into her palm. He looked at her for permission, and she nodded, before carefully, and as gently as he could, pulled the broken piece of china from her palm.

She winced in protest as he pulled it out, but she had put on her brave mask and held back the tears that were suddenly threatening to come out. '_His hands were always gentle when they held mine,_' she noted silently before wincing again as the pain on her palm magnified after the broken china was pulled out.

Mori examined her palm again with his fingers, carefully avoiding the cut. He blew gently at her cut, trying to lessen the pain Haruhi currently felt. Haruhi's eyes were slightly wide by a fraction when he did that, and a slight blush began to form on her cheeks.

Keeping her eyes trained onto the cut on her palm, she silently chanted herself to calm down. '_Calm down, Haruhi. Calm down. He's only doing that because you winced earlier. It doesn't mean anything. Does it? Of course it doesn't!_' She scolded herself silently. As she was lost in her own thoughts, she wasn't aware that she had accidentally curled her injured hand into a fist, and the gesture made her wound deepened than before. The pain jolted up through her arm and she let out a gasp.

Mori's eyes averted immediately to Haruhi's eyes. One gaze was all it took. Haruhi caught his gaze and knew the meaning in his eyes without him even uttering a word. '_Don't worry_,' his eyes said, soothing her nerves in the process, '_I promise the pain will be gone soon…_' In the midst of her pain, her heart skipped a beat and gradually the pain she was experiencing earlier was forgotten.

"Kyouya," Mori spoke out.

"Hai, here you go, Mori-senpai," Kyouya appeared suddenly beside him, holding out a small white Ootori Medical Kit in his hand and handed it to his senior. His eyes were hidden behind the glare of his glasses, so it was hard to make out what his expression was.

Mori took the medical kit from Kyouya's offered hand. He began to work immediately. He took out a few cotton buds and a bottle of ointment from the kit. Placing Haruhi's injured hand on one of his knees, he gently dabbed the ointment around Haruhi's opened wound, cleaning any dirt or minute pieces of china left behind.

---

Joining the silent crowd was Hoshakuji Renge, the temporary manager for the host club. She too was holding in her breath, but her real intention was to witness this rare 'moe' event. Ladies began to clasp their hands together as they witnessed on this incident; their eyes were wild with flames.

---

When Mori was done cleaning her wound, he dabbed some iodine gently to her cut, preventing it from getting any infection. He then took out a roll of bandage from the kit and began to wrap her injured hand with it. He was careful with the pressure from the bandage as he wrapped her hand; he didn't want to open the wound and let it bleed again.

Haruhi sat quietly on the floor as Mori continued his work. '_When he gazed into my eyes earlier, the pain disappeared immediately. What does that mean?_' she pondered silently. She looked at Mori who was in the middle of bandaging her injured hand and suddenly found herself to **really** look at her senior. '_I never noticed it before… but with this close proximity; I could see his perfectly contoured jaw line, and his perfectly high cheekbones, and his perfectly dark long lashes, and his perfectly penetrating gray eyes… He even has a smooth complexion, no blemishes or whatsoever…_' she trailed off in her thoughts.

She casted her head down to stop her eyes from staring at her senior, hiding a blush in the process. '_What am I saying?!_' she began to scold herself again and shook her head mentally. Just then she noticed the presence of two small feet beside her. She looked up to find Hani, his eyes were teary.

"D-Does it hurt, Haru-chan?" the loli-shota asked, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He was holding Usa-chan in his small hands, "Y-you can b-borrow Usa-chan, Haru-chan," he offered as he struggled not to cry.

Haruhi stared at the offered bunny in Hani's small hands, she took it with her good hand, "Thank you, Hani-senpai," she smiled gently, "it only hurts a little," she had to lie to the little senior in front of her as she saw the threatened tears began to fall down from his huge honey-brown eyes.

She placed Usa-chan on her lap and then took hold one of Hani's small hand in her good one. She rubbed his hand with a circular motion with her thumb and that calmed the little boy down a bit. "Don't cry Hani-senpai, okay?" she smiled again.

---

Flames of Moe began to erupt slowly. "Haruhi-kun," one of the fan girls called out, "You're so brave!"

---

When Mori was finished bandaging Haruhi's hand, he still held it in his two hands. "Haruhi," he called to her gently, grabbing her attention from the little senior. Haruhi whirled her head towards the senior in front of her, who was staring intently to her bandaged hand. "Hmm?" she asked as she waited for Mori to say something to her.

"Be careful next time," he replied in the same gentle tone he used to call her name. He caressed her hand softly, gently, lovingly. Haruhi blushed slightly, she could feel her ears were starting to heat up and her heart skipped another beat. The next thing he did caught everyone off guard, including Haruhi.

He gently moved her injured hand towards his lips and kissed her wounded palm softly. He murmured something into her palm, nobody caught what he said. Then he slowly lifted his eyes to gaze gently into her huge brown ones, and a small gentle smile formed on his lips. All the emotion he hid so well behind his stoic mask was conveyed in his gray eyes. Haruhi had to look away because her face was getting dangerously overheated and her heart was racing too much; she could hear the loud heartbeats in her ears.

And the whole of the Third Music Room erupted in a roar. "MOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" Flames of Moe amongst the fan girls erupted viciously inside the music room, sending heat waves bouncing of the walls. Their eyes were dancing with wild fire as they witnessed the most Moe scene in front of them; it could probably surpass the previous Moe scene, the one with Kasanoda Ritsu a while back.

Mori was slightly flushed but he didn't regret nor took back what he just did. Hani was jumping up and down happily on Haruhi's side. The twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, along with their Tono, Tamaki, dropped their jaws on the floor with a loud 'thud!' Tamaki's spirit flew out immediately out of his human shell and the twins were weakly supporting each other from stumbling down. They could not believe what they just witnessed!

"A very interesting turned out of events," a cool voice muttered, before he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and it glared in the light, hiding his eyes from view. He smirked inwardly and continued to type in more data in his Pineapple laptop, while ignoring the commotion happening at the other side of the room.

---

**A/N: I had to break this whole chapter into two parts, cause if I keep going on and on, you might get bored from reading it. :P**

**Part II will be posted after this! Reviews are highly appreciated, because I'll be a happy bunny that way. (hops away merrily)**


	7. Devious Plans Part 2

**A/N: Here's the second part! Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: do I really need to type this again? Oh well~ OHSHC does NOT belong to me, but I do want to own Takashi.**

_**---**_

**Chapter 6 Part II**

_**The hosting activities have ended.**_

"I presume we have a meeting to go on with," the Shadow King announced behind his laptop before he took out his faithful black notebook and his favourite black pen.

"Ah, yes. We do Kyouya-sama," Renge replied and stood up to go to the meeting table where everyone made their way there slowly. This time Renge took the upper head position, with Kyouya on her right, followed by the twins, and as usual Haruhi sat on the left, across from Kyouya, next to Mori and Hani. While Tamaki sat at the other end.

"Oi! Why am I sitting here?" Tamaki asked, perplexed. "And why is she at my chair?" he pointed to Renge, his eyes wide with confusion and shock, but nobody seemed to pay any attention to him.

"Let's begin," Kyouya announced, practically ignoring Tamaki's complaints and Tamaki immediately sulked. "Renge-chan, I presume you had your own ideas for the summer beach party this Sunday?" he began to write something in his notebook.

"Yes, yes. Kyouya-sama," Renge started excitedly, her eyes shining brightly, "I proposed we do a tournament!" Kyouya continued to write in more information into his notebook. "I have my own ideas for the tournament as well," she continued, "We could do a volleyball tournament between four groups; of course, I would be the one to assign these groups. Two groups will include the host club members and a few will be selected from our customers."

"The other two groups will consist only of our loyal customers of course," she explained enthusiastically, "I'll be explaining the rules on Sunday," Kyouya jotted down some more information, scribbling efficiently and swiftly inside his notebook.

"Apart from the volleyball tournament, there will also be 'castle battles and conquering castles', 'tug-of-war' and 'piranhas on dry land'. The last two gam-I mean tournaments, are popular among the commoner's world!" She grinned excitedly and added, "Rules will be explained this Sunday, because I do not want to ruin all the fun." She giggled lightly.

Haruhi sighed heavily, '_More commoners' games… Damn rich bastards…_' she mumbled. She looked to see at the other host's expression. She noted that the twins looked very excited when they heard about the tournaments; they were grinning slyly to each other and then directed their gaze immediately to her. She quickly looked away, silently praying that whatever the twins were planning, it would have nothing to do with her, **at all**.

Tamaki was lost in his own thoughts, probably imagining himself to be in the same group with his precious daughter, so he could strengthen the '_Father-Daughter_' bond between them. Haruhi's left eye twitched when she studied Tamaki's expression. '_He is so readable,_' she thought silently in annoyance. She planned to find away to **NOT **be in the same team as Tamaki's, she would much prefer to be in Mori's team.

'_Wait, what?!_' she felt alarmed with her own thoughts and then she began to argue with herself, '_of course, being in Mori-senpai's group would be of an advantage. He would be able to do anything, _**anything**_ at all... Wait, stop that!_' she mentally scolded herself. '_Why does my mind always go to the wrong direction every time I think of Mori-senpai?_' she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

Mori was watching her intently out of the corner of his eye again; his face was hidden behind the book he was currently reading though he did listen intently during the meeting. He saw her… struggling with herself? No, that couldn't be it.

For as long as he knew, Haruhi never showed to anyone if she was struggling with something or anything, at least not visibly. This was **way** more than visible; he could see her fidget every now and then.

'_Was she thinking of what happened earlier?_' he thought silently, '_Did I come too strong just now? Was it a wise move to kiss her hand earlier? Did I make her feel uncomfortable because of that?_' He found out that he was struggling with himself too, such irony.

"Ah. Okaa-san!" Tamaki called out suddenly, "I have a brilliant idea for the beach party too!" he was bouncing in his seat, unable to hold his 'brilliant' idea to himself any longer.

"What is it, Otou-san?" Kyouya replied calmly without even bothering to look up from his notebook, "Let's hear this _brilliant_ idea of yours."

"I was thinking," he said in a hyper manner, "that we should do firework display during the night. It would be the _perfect_ ending for the beach party! I saw in a commoner's magazine once; everyone would gather at the beach and lie down on blankets to look up at the sky during the firework display!"

"Good idea, Tono!" the twins chorused while giving the two thumbs-up at Tamaki.

"Well," Kyouya calmly interrupted, "I don't see the problem," while silently adding silently, '_this would bring a huge profit to the club_'. He smirked inwardly. "I'll leave the firework display to you Tamaki since you suggested it, and the twins shall assist you with the things needed."

"A last note, to all of you," Kyouya said after a few seconds of silence, "since we'll be spending the night at the Ootori's beach resort hotel, I suggest you packed some clothes to bring along. You are dismissed then," he concluded before returning to his usual table.

---

_**After the short meeting…**_

"Ha-ru-hi~" the twins chorused as they appeared suddenly beside her. She eyed them suspiciously.

"Ne, ne, Haruhi," Hikaru started, snaking his arms around her shoulders.

"Since this Sunday will be a beach party," Kaoru continued, snaking his arms around her waist.

"Why don't you wear one of our Mom's swimsuit designs?" they finished together, as they rubbed their cheeks with Haruhi's.

"No." she immediately answered.

"Why not, Haruhi? With our mother's designed swimsuits, you would look flawless~" Hikaru said, the first note was laced, no doubt, with a demanding tone.

"No. I will **not** wear any sort of swimsuits during Sunday," she said firmly.

"You devil twins!" Tamaki screeched, "Released my precious daughter from your filthy hands!" He came stomping at them, with steam blowing out from his nostrils, his entire was flushed with anger.

"What, Tono? We didn't do anything wrong~" the twins chorused again, smiling innocently while their hold on Haruhi tightened a little as to tease the Host King.

"Release my daughter at once! You fiends!" he screeched again as he tried to snatch Haruhi away. "And what is this talk about you devils wanting to make Haruhi wear swimsuits?!" he demanded.

"But Milord," Hikaru said innocently.

"Don't you want to see Haruhi in a swimsuit?" Kaoru prompted.

With that comment, Tamaki immediately went into one of his inner mind theatres involving Haruhi in a very skimpy swimsuit, with lots of frills covering her flat-chest. (**A/N:** _**hentai!**_) Haruhi was really annoyed when she saw Tamaki's expression; she didn't need to see what he was thinking to know what his expression really meant. And she was also annoyed with the twins for forcing her to do something she didn't want to. But no~ she didn't have any say in this! It annoyed the hell out of her.

Just then Hani appeared suddenly in front of her, staring up at her with those huge caramel eyes of his, she was confused at first. Hani was grinning evilly, wait, what? She thought she imagined it but when she looked back into Hani's expression, it turned back to normal; normal being sweet and adorable.

"Hika-chan, Kao-chan," he called sweetly from below.

"Hmm? Yes, Hani-senpai?" the twins were wondering when he had appeared.

"Haru-chan can't wear swimsuits," he said, still in his sweet tone, "What if somebody found out that she's a girl? Surely, she wouldn't be able to be in the host club anymore..." His voice turned sad now.

"Eh, we didn't think of th-" Hikaru started, but was interrupted by Hani.

"You want Haru-chan to not be here anymore, Hika-chan? Kao-chan?" he said, in the verge of tears while looking from one twin to another.

"Eh, of course not Hani-senp-" Kaoru said, but was interrupted again.

"You want her to go away?" Hani asked, tears threatening to fall down now.

"No, no! No, Hani-senpai! No!" the twins released Haruhi from their hold, she quickly escaped and was thankful for Hani's intervention, as they tried to calm the nearly-crying senior in front of them, and they began to panic, not knowing what to do.

"Mori-senpai! Help us!" the twins called out desperately while still trying to calm the little loli-shota who was now wailing.

"Mitsukuni," Mori appeared beside his cousin and handed him a small strawberry cake.

"Cake!" Hani cried happily, the tears instantly gone. The twins sighed in relief.

---

Mori, with Hani perched on his shoulders, and Haruhi beside him, decided to go home after a long day of hosting activities. Followed suit was Kyouya; he went to pack his things and then carried with his briefcase in his right hand. "Be sure to lock the door as the last person leaves," Kyouya reminded.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" the Host King announced once they were the only ones left behind.

"Yes, boss!" the twins saluted in a military style.

Tamaki began to pace around in front of the twins, "We have to take action soon!" he declared suddenly, "after today's event, who knows what will happen to my precious Haruhi!"

"How could she consent Mori to do something like that?" Hikaru muttered angrily, his hands began to shake uncontrollably, holding the rage he felt inside when he recalled Mori kissing Haruhi's hand.

"Hikaru," his double said, sympathetically. He put his arm around his twin's shoulder, giving Hikaru all the comfort he would need.

"We have to do something!" the King shouted, a hint of determination was hidden in his words. "We have to do whatever it takes, so Mori-senpai would not take dearest Haruhi away," Tamaki said, more confident now.

"But what are we gonna do, Milord?" Hikaru complained, feeling desperate already. Kaoru could only sympathize with his twin brother.

"I'm not sure yet," Tamaki answered after a minute of thought, "But we have to keep Haruhi busy all the time, and I mean **all the time.**" he concluded. "We must snatch her away whenever she gets too close to Mori-senpai, but we have to do something that would not have been obvious to anyone, we have to be discreet with our acts," for once, Tamaki's idiocy had disappeared, "I shall play different popular commoner's games with my precious daughter in order to strengthen the 'Father-Daughter' bond we share!" or not. (**A/N: sigh… Tamaki no baka**)

"Kaoru!" Hikaru suddenly exclaimed, a brilliant idea forming in his mind, "We could make Haruhi our 'experiment' for Mother's new clothing design! That way, she won't have any time to be near Mori-senpai!" Hikaru beamed proudly with his new found achievement and there was a mischievous hint hidden in his hazel eyes.

"That's a great idea, Hikaru!" Kaoru said with the same expression as his double, "If we do that, Mori-senpai wouldn't be able to get near her; he wouldn't even see it coming either!" he grinned mischievously and thought that if they did the same thing as before, it wouldn't be too obvious to actually separate Mori from Haruhi.

Two identical Cheshire grins formed on the twins' lips, with two sets of hazel eyes shining mischievously at the thought of their brilliant plan. Tamaki was in his own world, already imagining playing different commoner's games with his precious daughter, Haruhi, and of course, in his world, Haruhi was actually enjoying the games with Tamaki, laughing together merrily as they venture forth to different games of the commoner's world.

---

They didn't notice a small figure just outside the double doors of the Third Music Room, listening intently at their conversation. The door was slightly ajar; apparently Kyouya didn't shut it properly. However, that was of great advantage to the small figure, who was now smiling evilly when he heard of the three idiots plans to separate his cousin from Haruhi.

_**Ten minutes ago…**_

"Oh! I forgot to bring Usa-chan with me!" Hani suddenly realized, "I'll go get it now, okay? You guys wait here," Mori wanted offered to go instead, but Hani declined his offer, "Don't worry, Takashi," he said adorably, "You just stay here and keep Haruhi company, I don't want her to feel alone," with that said, he retreated back into the corridors of Ouran Academy.

He skipped his way to the Third Music Room, happy at the thought of his cousin accompanying the only female member of the host club at the courtyard. As soon as he reached the double doors of the music room, he noticed it was slightly ajar and then heard loud voices inside. He recognized the voices of Tamaki and the twins. '_Why aren't they going home yet?_' the little senior thought silently, and just as he was about to turn the door knob, he heard Mori and Haruhi's names being mentioned.

His ears perked up instantly and opted to listen to their conversation instead.

_**Now…**_

As he listened to the conversation further, his small hands balled into fists. He managed to calm himself from barging in and demanding what they were up to. He set his mind to stop whatever they were about to do, but he has to come up with an excellent idea first.

When he heard footsteps shuffling nearing the door, he immediately went to hide behind a wall. Even if they passed by him, they wouldn't be able to detect his presence. They were too… occupied at the moment.

Hani heard the sound of laughter coming out from the door; he waited silently for them to pass and went downstairs to the courtyard. Tamaki was walking casually in the middle; he was flanked by the twins on either side. They have put their arms around Tamaki's shoulders and were laughing at their brilliant devious plan. Hani gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes.

After he was sure the coast was clear, he stepped out and retrieved Usa-chan from the music room.

"Ano ne, Usa-chan," Hani said with his child-like voice as he made his way to the courtyard, "We'll have a lot of things to do from now on," he continued to talk with the dark, beady-eyed pink bunny in his hands, "We have to stop Tama-chan, Hika-chan and Kao-chan from interfering, ne?" he tilted his head to one side as he walked along the corridors of Ouran.

"We have to do whatever it takes to stop them," the child-like voice was replaced immediately with another, laced with evil and malice. "**Whatever it takes**," his caramel eyes gleamed evilly in the setting sun and just for a brief second, Usa-chan's eyes turned evil as well.

---

**Yay Hani! XD**

**A/N: Part II is finished! So, what do you think? Drop me some reviews because they make me **_**happy.**_

**Constructive criticisms are also appreciated, so I'd be able to… improve my story further! XD**

**Next chapter will be up, sometime this week. **_**Maybe**_**. If I'm nice **_**enough**_**, that is. :P**

**(skips away merrily)**


	8. At the Commoner's Supermarket

**Author's note: **_Hello minna-san~ Thank you for still reading this story, though others may be somewhat better than this one, but I appreciate that you're still following through this story's journey. XD_

**To Narcoleptic11235, **_I think you already said that though. But thank you again for the compliment; I feel that my head is getting a wee bit bigger because of it. Excuse me for a moment, as I need to go deflate my head first. XD_

**And to Phammobouth, **_thank you for being a loyal reader/reviewer!_

**You guys always make my days brighter than sunshine~ Thank you **_**all**_** for reading this and putting it on alert! Okay, enough of my ramblings, to the next chapter! Enjoy~**

**A side-note**_: the meaning for words with an _underline_ will be at the end of this chapter. ^^_

**---**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OHSHC, it all belongs to Bisco Hatori~**

**---**

**Chapter 7 – At the Commoner's Supermarket.**

**---**

…_**At the Fujioka's Residence…**_

"I'm home," Haruhi called as she made her way inside the apartment.

"Ah, Haruhi~ Welcome home," Ranka (a.k.a Ryouji) popped his head from the kitchen's doorway to look at his daughter, "How was school today?"

"Same old, same old," Haruhi sighed heavily as she made her way to the living room, "Tamaki-senpai was the same as always with that dramatic façade of his, and the twins were up to their tricks again, I don't know if I could take it anymore."

"Why don't you just ignore them, Haruhi dear?" Ranka said, while rummaging through the fridge for a snack, "Or do you want me to teach them a _lesson_?" his eyes glinting evilly and he grinned a mischievous smile, "_Especially_ to that idiot."

"No, that's okay Dad, I still can handle them," she said and went to the kitchen to prepare tea for both of them, "What do you want for dinner tonight?" she asked while thinking of what to cook.

"I want… tonkatsudon tonight!" Ranka replied with a huge grin plastered on his face, "Do we have enough ingredients to make that?" he pondered to his daughter.

"We're short on the pork cutlets," Haruhi stated, "I'll go buy them later; I heard there's a special discount today on pork cutlets," she smiled happily with the thought of saving extra money. "At least, I won't have to pay for the full price today," she muttered happily to herself.

Ranka looked at his daughter lovingly while she was preparing the tea, '_She's all grown up now_,' he thought happily, '_Kotoko_, _your daughter is becoming so mature for her age, sometimes I feel like _I'm_ the child in this family and _she's _the parent_,' he chuckled softly.

"Here's your tea Dad," she said and handed the tea to her Dad, "I'll be going to the supermarket after this, okay?" she slowly sipped her tea then put it gently on the table they were sitting at.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Ranka asked though he already knew the answer to his question.

"No, Dad, that's okay," she replied immediately, her hands clasping around the tea cup, "I can manage by myself," she added, and gave him a reassuring smile.

"But, Haruhi~" Ranka wailed playfully, "I want to keep you company, I don't want my daughter to feel all alone at a big supermarket," he added and gave her the puppy eyes.

"No Dad," she said firmly, "You need to rest, I want _you_ to **rest**," and that was her final statement, nobody will be able to argue with her, even Ranka himself, when she stubbornly insisted that she would manage easily by herself.

Ranka pouted but didn't argue. When she said it that way, he wasn't able to argue back, though he knew all along. Haruhi was always like this; she insisted that he should rest while she did all the shopping, all the cleaning, all the chores, all by herself.

Since her mother died, Haruhi had to carry out her responsibilities. Otherwise, who would? Her Dad was always busy with his work at the transvestite bar and she didn't want him to come back home tired and still wanting to take over the chores. So she had to do it, for hers and her father's sake. She'll grow up and take the whole responsibility.

It went easily with the chores and all, she was able to cook too since she always watched her deceased mother cook in the kitchen when she was still alive. From there, she was able to learn. Sometimes, Ranka felt ashamed with himself for not being able to help and could only watch his daughter grow up so fast in front of him. He wanted to help though but Haruhi wouldn't let him. Ever.

"I'll go change now," Haruhi said, interrupting her Dad's thoughts, Ranka only nodded and smiled. He watched at Haruhi's retreating figure and inwardly sighed. "I'll help where I can, I'll be the father she needs," he said, a determination set in his voice.

Haruhi went to her bedroom and changed from her school uniform. She opted for a simple white sundress and put on a sleeveless yellow top over it. She placed two hairclips to her hair then, rummaged through her school bag and got her purse.

"I'm going now, okay? I left some snacks at the kitchen counter," she called to the living room, where her Dad was still sipping tea. "Bye!"

"Bye, Haruhi! Be careful on your way there," he called out.

"I will Dad!" she closed the door and descended the stairs. She took her time to the supermarket since it wasn't near dark yet.

---

…_**At the Morinozuka Estate…**_

Mori was preparing to leave the estate. He just got back home from the Academy but decided to go out again to take a walk at the nearby park. He changed into casual clothes; a sleeveless black shirt with a white line across the chest and his favourite pair of dark blue denim jeans.

One of the maids approached him, "Morinozuka-sama, will you be going out again today?" she asked politely, her hands lay on top of the other on her maid apron.

"Ah," he replied and made his way out the door after the maid gave him a bow.

Hani was waiting for him at the driveway, "Takashi~" he waved happily. Mori waved once and smiled. "Shall we go?" Hani asked with his adorably sweet voice.

"Yes, let's go."

Hani sat on Mori's shoulders with his legs securely grasped gently with his cousin's hands. "Ano ne, Takashi," he started, "Let's go to the supermarket near Haru-chan's apartment."

"Ah," Mori replied and Hani grinned happily, cute pink flowers floated around his head.

---

…_**At the Commoner's Supermarket…**_

Haruhi was currently choosing between which pork cutlets she wanted. She flipped them back and forth, while comparing the prices with other pork cutlets. She decided to get the bigger one, the quality looked well enough and the cost was less than the smaller (and definitely of expensive quality) ones. She puts them in the basket.

Satisfied with her choice, she then went to get a packet of bread crumbs for the dish she was going to cook tonight. All the while, her head was casted downwards at the basket she was holding as she made her way to the bread section. When suddenly, a small figure came into contact with her, mostly like that whatever the small thing was, it darted into her, calling (more like shouting) her name, "Haru-chan!" She didn't have any time to react. It felt like everything turned to slow motion.

One second she was looking at the basket she was holding, the next second, it disappeared and it was sent flying above her. She closed her eyes tightly and prepared for the impact from the basket but didn't feel it coming, at all. After what felt like a full five seconds, a wail or some sort of anguish voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Haru-chan! I'm so sorry!" wailed the familiar child-like voice below her, "I didn't mean to surprise you like that!"

---

Haruhi opened her eyes slowly and saw Hani staring back at her with huge caramel eyes, and they were in the verge of tears. He was holding onto her waist. She blinked several times, "Hani-senpai? Is that you?" she asked, completely confused and slightly dazed. She looked up from Hani and noticed another one of her senpai, the Wild type host, "Ah, Mori-senpai too?" he was standing close behind Hani with her basket in his hand.

"Gomen ne, Haru-chan," Hani sniffed, still hugging her waist.

"Eh?" she averted her gaze back to the small senior below her, "That's okay, Hani-senpai," she smiled gently and lay a hand on top of his blonde hair, "I was a little startled, that's all," she ruffled his hair lightly. "Anyway, what are you guys doing here?" she asked; her head slightly tilted to one side while looking from the small boy to the tall one then back again. Her eyes lingered a few seconds longer at the tall senpai.

"Oh!" Hani suddenly realized and released his hands from her waist. He stood a few inches away from her; his hands were clasped together behind his back. Mori remained stoic but his dark gray eyes were gazing at the girl. Hani stared adorably up at her and began moving from side-to-side.

"Ano ne, Haru-chan," he started with his child-like voice, "We were going to go to the park earlier, but we changed our minds and decided to go here instead. Hehe," he grinned sweetly, and then he looked up to his tall cousin, "Right, Takashi?"

"Ah," Mori replied, his eyes never leaving the girl standing in front of him.

"Ah, Haru-chan, then what are you doing here?" Hani asked after a few seconds of comfortable silence between the three of them.

"Oh," she said, "I almost forgot about why I'm here in the first place," she turned her gaze to Mori, "Um, Mori-senpai, can I have the basket back please?" she pointed to the basket Mori held.

Mori looked at the basket in his hand, "Nn," he shook his head slowly, "I'll carry it for you," he said and gave her a gentle smile, the same smile he gave her during the sleepy incident.

Haruhi blushed slightly, "Um, okay," she shifted her gaze back to Hani while shuffling her feet awkwardly, "Hani-senpai, what were you gonna buy here?"

"Ano ne," he said adorably, "I don't really know," he grinned sweetly, and tilted his head to one side, his hands behind his back, cute pink flowers floating around his head.

"Ah, I know," Haruhi said suddenly, "Why don't we stop by at the bakery shop after this?" she smiled and tilted her head to one side. '_She looks really cute when she does that_,' Mori thought silently while keeping his stoic mask in place, though there _was_ a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Okay!" Hani cheered happily.

"I need to pay for my things first," she started and added, "but before that, I need to get a packet of bread crumbs," she said thoughtfully.

"Okay, Haru-chan! Let's go!" Hani said excitedly and took her hand in his. She didn't mind though and smiled gently to the little senpai; she ruffled his hair lightly. Hani grinned like a child given candy. They were about to made their way to the bread section when Haruhi suddenly halted in her tracks. "Haru-chan?"

"Mori-senpai," she turned around to look at the tall guy a few feet behind her, "Aren't you coming?" she smiled her natural rookie smile. Mori's heart skipped a beat and his breath hitched, luckily, the two in front didn't notice it. "Ah," was his only reply. He casually strode to Hani and Haruhi. Once right beside her, he smiled, with the basket in hand, and said, "Let's go."

They made their way to the bread section, which was located at the other end of the supermarket. From afar and from others' perspectives, the three would look a lot like the _perfect_ family: Hani as the cute and adorable son, Haruhi as the loving and caring mother/wife, and Mori as the devoted father/husband.

Mori watched the two people beside him; the two people he cared the most for. He thought that Haruhi would make a perfect mother as well as a perfect wife. And thus, his imaginations wandered to what it would be like if Haruhi was the mother of his children. He could see children with hair as black as his and eyes that bore the same colour as Haruhi's, running towards them, calling them "Mama!" and "Papa!" He could see how happy she were to be his wife and a mother to his children. He liked what he saw, but then, they were nothing but wishful thinking, mere imaginations of the mind.

He hoped and wished that one day it would come true.

Just then Mori noticed the glances other people were giving them and they were whispering to each other, with an excited tone.

"Look at them," an older woman said to her friend, "they look like such a perfect family."

"The young woman is lucky to have such a devoted husband," another whispered.

"The boys looked like mega movie stars," a young girl whispered to her friend, "even the girl is pretty."

'_Pretty?_' Mori thought, '_Haruhi's not pretty, she's _**beautiful**_…_' he smiled at his own thought.

"Okay, I got everything I need," Haruhi interrupted his thoughts, and he looked at her, "Let's go pay for this," and she began to make her way to the cashier. The whispers were getting louder. Haruhi turned to look up at the other people in the supermarket and caught what they were whispering about.

A blush formed slowly on her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly. Mori liked it when she blushed like that; it seemed so… _natural _of her. He chuckled at the choice of words he used.

Haruhi shifted her gaze to her senpai and tilted her head, "Mori-senpai, is there something funny?" Hani looked up at his cousin and he noticed the blush on Mori's face, he chuckled inwardly. "Ne, ne, Haru-chan," Hani started in that adorable voice of his, "Takashi's just embarrassed,"

Haruhi gazed at Mori, and she definitely saw the blush on his cheeks when he averted his gaze somewhere else, avoiding her own gaze in return. Haruhi chuckled at this sudden behavior of his, and then Mori stared at her instantly, delighted and confused at the same time when she chuckled.

"It's nothing Mori-senpai," Haruhi said, as she tried to muffle another chuckle, "I like it when you blush, you look different that way," she smiled and turned around to head to the cashier, with Hani's hand still in hers.

Mori gazed at Haruhi's retreating figure, '_she… likes it…_' he thought, somewhat dazed, then a small smile crept slowly across his lips.

Just then Haruhi turned around to look at him again, "Mori-senpai, if you're not coming then we're gonna leave you there," she said playfully. "Ah," he replied and strode to her direction, "I'll pay for this," he whispered to her ear when he was close enough, then made his way to the cashier and he gave out a chuckle.

Haruhi froze dead in her tracks; she blushed furiously while her heart felt like it just went through a horse race. Hani's caramel eyes became wider and he began to giggle at her side.

Haruhi shifted her gaze to Mori; he was gazing intently at her. The emotion was displayed in his gray eyes. Hani began leading the way to the cashier, "C'mon Haru-chan, or we won't be able to make it to the bakery in time," Hani chuckled, towing Haruhi by her hand.

Mori was waiting at the front opening of the supermarket, a plastic bag containing the groceries in his right hand; everything was already purchased. Haruhi stared at him, still feeling embarrassed with the earlier ordeal. When he stared back, she shifted her gaze immediately to Hani's hair; the blush was still on her cheeks and she was smiling sheepishly.

"Let's go the bakery, Haru-chan!"

---

Once at the bakery, Hani was deep in thought as he was deciding which cakes to get.

"See anything you like Hani-senpai?" Haruhi came to his side, her eyes fixed on the display of assorted small cakes.

"I think…" Hani pondered, "I want to get one pair of each cake!" he grinned widely and went to take one of the trays to put the cakes on.

"O-Okay," Haruhi said nervously while mentally calculating if her money was enough.

"Haru-chan," Hani said sweetly, interrupting her thoughts, "You don't have to pay for the cakes, I already paid for them." A huge smile was plastered on his face, and in his hand were two cake boxes. Another two were on Mori's hands.

---

"Dad, I'm home," Haruhi called as she made her way inside, Hani and Mori followed suit. "Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai are here too,"

"Ah! Hani-kun, Mori-kun! Come in, come in. Please, make yourselves at home," Ranka greeted them in a sing-song voice.

---

**Author's note: **_Okay,__do your drill. Reviews are appreciated, whether they're long or short, I don't mind. Constructive criticisms are also appreciated. And you can leave suggestions also; I'll take them as a consideration. Who knows? Your suggestion might appear in this story. XD_

_Next chapter is currently being written. So be patient, onegai? I'm not feeling well lately, but I'll update as soon as I can. Ja~ ne._

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Tonkatsudon – a _donburi _(meaning a big bowl full of hot steamed rice) topped with deep-fried breaded cutlet of pork.


	9. Matchmakers

**To Narcoleptic11247**;

_As a matter of fact, I think I roughly do have the answer to that. I'll be keeping this story longer, which means there will be more chapters to come. I'm writing it nice and slow, it's just like when you watch an anime, I'm aiming for that sort of thing. But what I know, there'll be probably more than 10 chapters. I hope this answers your question. XD_

**To Phommabouth, BlackBlood789, Pet Darkling, -Akio-Hatate- and katomiShigatiLovesDrarry**;

_Thank you for reviewing! And thank you also for the compliments. XD_

_Not forgetting to those who have read this story too, thank you everyone!_

**Author's note: **_Enjoy the next chapter!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Or do I? Of course not! Don't be silly.**

---

**Chapter 8 – Matchmakers**

---

_Previously –_

"_Dad, I'm home," Haruhi called as she made her way inside, Hani and Mori followed suit. "Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai are here too,"_

"_Ah! Hani-kun, Mori-kun! Come in, come in. Please, make yourselves at home," Ranka greeted them in a sing-song voice. _

---

"Ojama shimasu! We bought cake!" Hani greeted happily after taking his shoes off and leaving them at the doorway and placed the cake boxes at the kitchen counter, "Ojama shimasu," Mori followed suit, in his deep tone, as he removed his shoes.

"Haruhi dear, could you make tea for our guests?" Ranka asked and ushered the boys to the living room. Haruhi nodded and proceeded to the kitchen; Mori stopped in his tracks and followed Haruhi instead to the kitchen, the cake boxes in hand, leaving Hani to be with Ranka as they took their seats around the low table.

"Mori-kun," Ranka called when Mori wasn't with them, "Aren't you going to join us?"

---

Mori turned to look at Haruhi's Dad, "Nn," he shook his head and pointed to the kitchen area, "I'll go help Haruhi," and he turned to go to the kitchen and lay the cake boxes at the nearest counter. As soon as Mori was right behind Haruhi, he spoke in his usual manner, "Haruhi," he called and she turned to look at him.

"Hmm? What are you doing here Mori-senpai?" she asked, slightly confused with his presence in the kitchen, "You should go sit down with Hani-senpai and my Dad," she said as she slightly tilted her head.

Mori shook his head slowly while holding his gaze to the brunette girl in front of him, "I'll help you with the tea," he said simply, still not choosing to budge from his spot. Mori watched as Haruhi's eyes slightly widened, her head still tilted to the side.

"Eh? You don't have to Mori-senpai," she replied, shaking her head in disagreement, "You're a guest here, I'll man-"

"I'll help," he cut her off and that was his final say in this little argument. Haruhi knew he would still insist on helping her even though the task at hand was trivial, she sighed in defeat. '_Guess there's no point in arguing when he's so insisting like this_,' Haruhi thought silently. "Okay then, you can help," she replied though her tone didn't have the slightest bit of annoyance and that made Mori somewhat happy. He smiled gently at her reply. Haruhi saw the smile formed on his lips and her heart skipped a beat. She turned her head away immediately because her cheeks were threateningly getting warmer by the second.

'_Wait, what's _wrong_ with me? This is __**Mori-senpai**__! Why did my heart accelerate when he smiled like that? Though I _do_ like to see him smile like that, since it's so rare- what the _hell_ am I saying?_' she shook her thoughts away.

"Haruhi," Mori called and she averted her gaze directly to his eyes (wrong move!), "you okay?" he asked with that deep tone of his and the gaze he gave her was **intense**, she could feel them burning into her soul. To make matters worse, her heart threatened to leap out of her rib cage. She took a few seconds to calm herself down; she inhaled in air and exhaled it out deeply. Mori thought that Haruhi wasn't feeling well because her face was _red_. Red like Kasanoda's hair colour, red. So he did the one thing that people always do when someone wasn't feeling well; he touched her forehead gently with his large palm to feel her temperature, then compared it with his own temperature.

Haruhi stood frozen, unable to move even the _slightest_ bit. She could feel the firm but gentle press of his large palm against her forehead. This kind of gesture, coming from Mori, made her cheeks blushed furiously. But, she felt slightly confused also, "A-Ano, Mori-…senpai?" she said timidly and Mori turned his gaze back to her, "What are you doing… exactly?" Mori just looked at her flushed face, his palm still on her forehead, "Haruhi," he said, "You're warm. Are you sick?" Haruhi blinked her huge brown eyes at Mori.

Then something clicked inside her mind, '…_That's why Mori-senpai was putting his palm against my forehead! He thought I was _sick!_ Demo… I'm _not_ even sick_,' she pondered silently, and a sudden realization hits her as a shooting arrow was sent flying straight through her head, _'…my face was warm because… Mori-senpai was _**smiling**_, which I felt was _rare_, and then giving me that _**intense**_ gaze… though I kinda liked… it_.' That thought didn't help at all because her face turned to scarlet!

She forced herself to be rational, "Ano, Mori-sen…pai," she started slowly, "I'm not… sick, at all," she turned her gaze somewhere else because Mori was bound to stare into her eyes again. But her furious blush was a **dead** giveaway. Mori studied her expression and something inside his mind began to click together, like smaller jigsaw puzzle pieces resulting into a bigger picture. '_She's…_ blushing,' this sudden discovery he encountered upon resulted into a rather low chuckle.

Haruhi, annoyed at herself, turned her face towards the tall senpai. '_He chuckled. He _chuckled_. He _**chuckled.**'She narrowed her eyes at him and subconsciously _pouted_ slightly (it wasn't intentional, she didn't even realized she was pouting), her face was slightly flushed now because she was angry _and_ annoyed _and_ currently sulking like a child because Mori thought it was _funny_ to see her blushing so furiously.

"Gomen," he whispered softly and his rare smile appeared as he gazed into her eyes. "Un," was her only reply, still sulking a little. She turned to start preparing the tea, which was _supposed_ to be done ten minutes ago. Mori chuckled inwardly and helped her prepare the drinks.

Every now and then, their hands would brush softly passed each other and a slight blush would appear on both of their cheeks though they ignored that but inwardly, both were smiling when their skin came into contact with each other; it was as if an electric current ran through them. They spent the time preparing the drinks in an awkward yet comfortable silence. It was awkward for Haruhi because her heart was still racing; comfortable for Mori because he knew one way to make her blush.

---

Back to the living room with Hani and Ranka, they were both catching up with the latest stories, well more like Hani was the one who did most of the talking while Ranka nodded enthusiastically and gave a few comments every now and then. It felt like eight minutes had passed but the drinks were still not there, Ranka was wondering why Haruhi and Mori took so long to prepare the drinks. So he turned his attention to the kitchen area just a few feet from the living room though he was still listening to Hani's stories.

"Ranka-chan?" Hani asked suddenly when the okama didn't reply and he noticed that Ranka's eyes were fixed somewhere else; his lips formed slowly into a gentle smile. Hani followed Ranka's gaze. They both were now looking at Haruhi and Mori, who were currently 'occupied' with each other, and a grin spread across Hani's child-like face. "Hani-kun," Ranka started, eyes still fixed to the other two and the smile was still there.

"Hmm? What is it, Ranka-chan?" Hani shifted his gaze back to Haruhi's Dad.

"Mori-kun likes my daughter, ne," Ranka said in a soft voice, it sounded more like a statement than a question, as if he knew it all along (this is of course, Kyouya's work). Hani nodded once and cute pink flowers floated around his head.

"Yup, and Haru-chan likes Takashi," Hani said happily in reply, "Demo, Haru-chan probably doesn't realize it yet," he added as he lay one finger to his chin, pondering intelligently at his statement.

"I'm not surprised about that part," Ranka smiled gently as she watched his daughter, "She always put other people first, but when it comes to herself, she became somewhat dense," he chuckled softly.

"That's right Ranka-chan," Hani agreed, "But you know, Tama-chan, Hika-chan and Kao-chan likes her too and they planned to separate Haru-chan from Takashi because Haru-chan spends more time with Takashi, ne," he added and the pink flowers disappeared suddenly.

"Nani? Is that blonde idiot trying to take my daughter's happiness away from her?" Ranka said, his voice laced with venom though his face was of the okama's (still smiling and all), not Ryouji's. "Hani-kun," Ranka said and turned his face towards the small blonde-haired boy in front of him as an idea was forming in his head, "What do you feel of being a matchmaker for this two?" he smiled mischievously. "I'd love that, Ranka-chan," Hani replied, an evil yet mischievous smile crept on his lips.

So, they began plotting several plans to bring Haruhi and Mori together, not forgetting to set out other plans that involved Tamaki and the twins from interfering (as of this moment, an evil aura emanated slowly inside the living room).

---

Haruhi walked into the living room, with a tray of assorted cakes in hand, Mori followed suit with the tray of tea in hand. They sat down around the low table, diagonally to each other; the seating arrangements would look like this – Ranka was to Haruhi's right and Hani across from her, that leaves Mori on her left side.

She poured some tea into four cups that were set in front of her and handed one to her Dad, one to Hani and one to Mori. "Enjoy your tea Hani-kun, Mori-kun," Ranka said in his okama voice, "What cakes did you buy earlier?"

"We bought a pair of each cake!" Hani grinned and added; "There's chocolate cake, strawberry cake, blueberry cheesecake, cherry cake…" he listed endlessly while counting off with his small fingers and the cute pink flowers floated around his head again. Ranka seemed happy with the list of assorted cakes; he didn't know what to choose. Mori's stoic mask was in place, though his eyes were watching the girl next to him. Their hands were just a few inches apart from each other.

Haruhi was in her own thoughts, '_this is really nice, I wish we could do this more often. Just me and Dad with Hani-senpai and… Mori-senpai. Tamaki-senpai and the twins would be too loud, not to mention they would annoy the hell out of me with that commoner thing, Kyouya-senpai would just be too much, he's so… evil. Who knows what he was thinking about_,' she shuddered at that thought.

Mori noticed her shudder from the corner of his eye, '_Maybe she's cold?_' he pondered silently, '_But then she said she wasn't sick earlier._' He decided to scoot slightly closer to her, making sure that nobody would notice the slight movement he made, not even her. To cover what he just did, he took a strawberry cake from the tray and gave it to her. Haruhi looked up from her tea cup and nodded to him as a thank you. He took another strawberry cake from the tray. He scooped the strawberries from his cake and gave it to her. Haruhi smiled happily, "Thank you, Mori-senpai." He just smiled gently in return.

Hani and Ranka were actually watching Haruhi and Mori secretly. Each lip crept into a mischievous smile when they saw the happy expressions from both, though Mori's face expression didn't reveal much, but his eyes were saying that he was _happy_. The time to carry out the plan has arrived.

"Hani-kun, Mori-kun," Ranka started, a smile was formed on his lips, "Would you like to stay for dinner tonight?"

"Sure! We love to," Hani replied immediately for both him and his cousin's behalf, "Ne, Takashi?" he directed his eyes to his cousin; a grin was plastered on his face. "Ah," Mori nodded once in reply and continued to eat his cake even though he didn't like sweets that much, '_one similarity with Haruhi, she doesn't like sweets that much too_,' he thought silently and smiled inwardly at another discovery he came upon.

"Sumimasen, I'll go prepare dinner now," Haruhi excused herself and made her way to the kitchen. All three men watched as she left for the kitchen. Hani directed his gaze to Mori, "Takashi," he called and Mori directed his eyes to the small blonde, "Help Haru-chan prepare the dinner, ne?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side. "Ah," he nodded and went to help Haruhi.

"Good job, Hani-kun," Ranka muttered but loud enough for Hani to hear. Hani grinned widely and continued to eat cake. Ranka continued to sip his tea and ate the blueberry cheesecake he chose earlier.

---

"Mitsukuni asked me to help," Mori said as he stood next to Haruhi. She nodded, "Okay, you could help chop this up," she said as she handed Mori a few vegetables, "I'll go prepare the batter for the pork cutlets. We're going to make tonkatsudon and vegetable soup for dinner tonight." Mori nodded and proceeded to chop the ingredients. It only took him less than three minutes.

When Haruhi turned to look at Mori's work, her eyes widened slightly and she was amazed, "You finished chopping already?" she asked, she was evidently bewildered and awed at the same time. "You're really efficient, Mori-senpai," she complimented and that made him blushed slightly. "I sometimes cook at home with the chefs," he confessed and smiled sheepishly.

"Really?" Haruhi asked and smiled happily in return with this newfound knowledge. Mori's heart skipped a beat, '_she always has that effect on me_,' Mori thought silently. "Ah," he replied and ruffled her hair lightly. Her eyes widened slightly and a blush crept slowly across her cheeks. "We better finish preparing for dinner soon," Haruhi grinned, "Or we won't get to eat."

They spent the rest of the hour preparing for dinner. Both Mori and Haruhi seemed to be happy at that exact moment since they felt comfortable being around each other. It was evident that the chemistry was there between them. It just needed a _little_ push from two particular matchmakers.

---

"Itadakimasu," they said together when dinner was already prepared. The four of them chatted occasionally with each other; they look like one big happy family. After dinner was finished, Mori helped Haruhi with dishes while Hani and Ranka chatted together. Mori and Haruhi had absolutely **no** idea that Ranka and Hani were playing matchmakers to bring them together, though Mori was beginning to suspect something. He noticed the occasional stare from Hani and Haruhi's Dad, even though he didn't look. It was a natural instinct of his. But he shook that thought away quickly when he was alone with Haruhi.

Once they were done with the dishes, Hani and Mori decided to go home.

"We're gonna go home now Haru-chan, Ranka-chan," Hani announced, it was getting pretty late. Mori only nodded.

"Take care, boys!" Ranka called from the living room as they made their way outside. Haruhi escorted them to the sidewalk, it was the least she could do since Mori helped her with the cooking today. A black limousine was waiting there.

"Mata ashita, Haru-chan!" Hani hugged her around the waist before waving goodbye as he made his way into the limousine.

"Mata ashita, Hani-senpai," Haruhi replied and a gentle smile formed on her lips. She waved goodbye.

"Oyasumi, Haruhi," Mori said as he gazed at her with those intense gray eyes.

"Oyasumi, Mori-senpai," she replied, a soft smile formed on her lips, and added, "thank you for helping me out today." Mori nodded in reply and ruffled her hair lightly; then climbed into the car with Hani waiting patiently.

They waved goodbye as the limousine drove away. Haruhi returned the wave then retreated back to the apartment with a happy smile on her face.

"Good night Dad," Haruhi called as she went to her bedroom.

"Good night Haruhi dear," Ranka replied and smiled at his daughter's happiness before he made his way to his bedroom.

---

**Author's note:** Yay! Another chapter done! Do your drill people and make me happy!

Suggestions are welcomed, reviews are appreciated, and flames are extinguished, I shall turn them to rubies instead! XD

Ja~ ne minna-san!

_**Next chapter will be posted early next week, either Monday or Tuesday. Latest by Wednesday.**_

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Ojama shimasu – _a greet you used when coming inside someone's house, it means 'Sorry to bother you'._

Sumimasen – _Excuse me_.

Itadakimasu – _commonly said before eating._

Mata ashita – _See you tomorrow._

Oyasumi – _Good night._


	10. The Third Demon's Wrath

**Author's note: Thank you everyone for the awesome reviews! You guys really make my days a lot brighter! Oh, by the way, this will be a two part chapter because there's a continuation after this chapter that relates the hosting activities. You'll get what I mean once you finished reading it. The second part will be posted tomorrow if I can get it finish in time. Okay, on with the next chapter~ I hope you'll enjoy it! XD**

**Disclaimer: "**Ouran belongs to me!" said Bisco Hatori. XD

**---**

**Chapter 9 – The Third Demon's Wrath**

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It was free period day in Ouran Private Academy, meaning no classes for the whole single day; therefore students were able to do whatever they wish to do. To Haruhi, this day is heaven-sent. Finally, given this rare chance, she was able to do her studies. She didn't have the time to do much of her studies before, what with the host club's busy schedule and the twins' constant pranks on her and Tamaki's dramatic attitude towards her and the usual house chores at home. Tamaki was still bound to that Father-Daughter bond; it made life somewhat harder for her.

Today's host club activities were like any other days, except that Tamaki suddenly decided to have a grand picnic at one of the cherry blossom fields, courtesy of the Academy's wealthy income to actually build several cherry blossom fields in the school's vast grounds of course.

---

…_**Flashback to last night, at the Suoh Second Mansion, Tamaki's bedroom…**_

Tamaki was standing outside; his hands were laid on the balcony railings with his fingers intertwining. He wasn't sleeping yet, he was thinking of the theme for the next hosting activities. Just then an idea formed on his mind. He retreated back into his bedroom and took his cell phone from its charger.

He pressed 1, and a name appeared on the ID. It belongs to his best friend, Ootori Kyouya. Of course he was on speed dial. All the other members were.

He listened as the phone kept ringing. The clock on his bedside table showed 15 minutes to 12 midnight. Kyouya was probably sleeping by now. But Tamaki insisted on calling his friend, although he knew waking up Kyouya around this time resulted to the Low Blood Pressure Demon King to come out.

There was a click on the other end, someone had picked it up.

"Ah, Kyouya-" Tamaki started but was immediately cut off.

"**Why** in God's name are you _calling_ me in the **middle** of the _night_ for?!" Kyouya growled, "Why can't you wait until _morning_ to call me, Tamaki?!"

"But Kyouya-"

"But **WHAT?!** Don't you have anything _better_ to do than disrupting people's _peace_?!"

"Kyouya, I-"

"You _listen_ here _Tamaki_," he growled again, his tone laced with pure venom, "People _sleep_ this time around. Why the _hell_ are you still up for?! If you call me like this _again_, I _swear_ to God you _won't _be able to breathe _anymore_," he fumed.

When Kyouya was finished with his angry rant, there was a few seconds pause; Tamaki took that chance to tell him about his idea for the next theme, for tomorrow's free period day.

"Kyouya, the next theme for hosting activities will be Traditional Japan!" Tamaki said excitedly, practically forgetting Kyouya's wrath towards him earlier.

At the other line, Kyouya gritted his teeth and tried very hard to calm his nerves down. Just when he was about to sleep, with a _migraine_ in his head, _Tamaki_ decided to _call_ him in the _middle_ of the night. '_One of these days,_ _I swear to God I'll kill that blonde idiot…_' he swore silently.

"Since we're having a free period day tomorrow," Tamaki continued excitedly, "We should hold a grand picnic at one of the cherry blossom fields!" Kyouya could practically see a huge grin plastered on his best friend's (yes, best friend, although he wouldn't admit that, not in a million years to come) face.

"What do you think, Kyouya?" he asked excitedly, "Hello? Are you still there?" Tamaki questioned when he didn't hear any response from the other line.

"_Fine_," was the only reply coming from the other end and it was soon followed, seconds later, by a click.

"Now to call the twins for the attire for tomorrow's theme~" Tamaki said, cheerily.

…_**End of flashback…**_

---

When Haruhi stepped in through the double doors of the Third Music Room, her arms were suddenly hooked by two identical hands, one on her right, while the other on her left.

"Target-"

"-Captured."

She wasn't surprised about this anymore; she knew the twins would never leave her alone, especially today, the free period day. She sighed heavily, a bored look plastered on her face. She was unwillingly dragged to the dressing room, though she didn't trash her legs about or struggled trying to escape the twins' grips.

She then noticed the twins' current clothes. They weren't the usual Ouran blue blazer and black trousers. They were wearing some sort of traditional Japanese clothing. She didn't have the chance to actually see their whole clothes properly when she was pushed inside the dressing room.

"Here Haruhi," Hikaru had thrust something into her hands, it felt like cotton silk? Sort of.

"Change into that," Kaoru instructed, before they turned around together and waited outside.

"There goes my free period day," Haruhi sighed heavily to the wall, "Just when I had the chance to study, I got dragged into this." She stared at the garment in her hands, "What is it this time?" She spread the garment high in her hands and looked at it properly, "A summer yukata?" she said after a few seconds. She sighed heavily again, "Better get this on with,"

She traced her fingers softly on the material, it _was_ cotton silk. The whole material was filled with patterns of cherry blossoms and bamboo shoots, and it was _lilac_ in colour. '_Great, another girly dress…_' she muttered silently. She put in on carefully, afraid that it might tear or something. She then tied the pinkish-purple obi sash, which was accompanied with the yukata, around her waist. She inspected it for the second time, making sure it was secure.

Lastly, she placed two small hairclips to her hair. The first hairclip was a white chrysanthemum, with another purple chrysanthemum placed over it. And a tiny white pearl was placed over a gold flower pattern in the center of the first clip, as a definite centerpiece. The second hairclip was a light pink cherry blossom; it was overlaid with a smaller darker pink cherry blossom on top of it. The centerpiece was the same as the first clip; a pearl on a gold flower pattern.

She then placed the last hair accessory the twins provided, a hira-kanzashi, or simply, a hair stick with a single flower pattern. It was purple-pink in colour with a chrysanthemum and a cherry blossom flower pattern fused together. The definite centerpiece consisted of pure rubies, instead of white pearls, surrounded with golden intricate flower patterns.

Once she was finished with all the garments and the accessories, she was about to turn to the mirror to inspect herself. But then the twins barged in; they stopped in their tracks when she turned around to look at them. She was a little confused when they were gaping at her. "What?" she demanded, "Did I not wear it right? I know how to wear a yukata, damn it," she cursed.

"Haruhi…" Hikaru started, he was a little dazed.

"Turn around…" Kaoru muttered, he too was slightly dazed.

So she turned around to look at the mirror then, and she was a little shock to see the girl. Haruhi was slightly awed by the girl's simple beauty. Her Dad once said that she was his beautiful little girl, she didn't really care though. After all, she was ignorant when it comes to gender. But the girl staring back at her right this moment was really _herself_. Well, she _knew_ it was her, but at the same time, it didn't feel like her at all too.

Eight seconds later, she was glomped by the twins. Hikaru placed his arms around her shoulders and Kaoru's arms were placed around her waist.

"Ha-ru-hi~ .!" Kaoru cooed while rubbing his left cheek against her right.

"Our toy is so adorable!" Hikaru cooed too while rubbing his right cheek with her left.

Haruhi stood in the middle with a bored face, and her body was slumped a little. In the inside, she was getting annoyed, '_I knew this was coming, I knew it!_' she muttered silently. And suddenly…

"Haruhi, precious daught-" Tamaki stopped dead in his sentence and screamed suddenly, "YOU PERVERTED DEVIL TWINS! GET OFF FROM MY PRECIOUS HARUHI!"

…and so the tug-of-war or should I say, the tug-of-Haruhi began…

"Milord, let go of Haruhi!" the twins wailed together and took hold one of Haruhi's arm.

"You devil twins let her go!" Tamaki demanded and took hold of Haruhi's other arm.

"We were here first, Tono! Let go of Haruhi!" they tugged her to the right.

"How dare you put your filthy hands around my daughter! Let go!" Tamaki tugged her to the left.

"She's OUR toy! We have our rights! Now let go of her Milord!" (**tugged**)

"She's MY daughter! I have the wholly rights as her father! You let go!" (**tugged**)

As of this moment, Haruhi's eyes twitched as her level of annoyance was beginning to reach the maximum line. All the tugging they did was starting to hurt her, her arms felt like they would come out from their sockets. If this continued any longer time, she would probably lose her temper and she would probably murder Tamaki and the twins. So, she stilled and planted her feet firmly to the ground. Her jaw clenched and she inhaled deeply, trying very hard to keep as _calm_ as _possible_.

"Tamaki-senpai," she started very calmly, but her tone was tainted slowly with venom, "Hikaru, Kaoru," she called with that same tone as before.

But the three idiots didn't respond as if they didn't hear her, at all. Instead, they kept **tugging** her from side to side and still arguing with each other; Tamaki claimed her as his _daughter_ while the twins claimed her as their _toy_. Haruhi is **not** to be treated as an _object_ for their _silly_ little game; they didn't have _any_ rights to do that, no rights **at all**. And so the trio shall face the wrath of the third demon. You know who the first and second are already.

---

Meanwhile, outside the dressing room, at the hosting hall, Hani was starting to wonder why the others took so long to be in the dressing room.

"Ano ne, why are they taking so long?" Hani wondered out loud to himself. Mori shot him a look, clearly also wondering why on _earth_ they were taking so long though his face remained stoic throughout the whole ordeal. Mori was beginning to worry over Haruhi, maybe something happened inside there? Hani was also worried now, but more importantly he was concerned what the idiots were doing to Haruhi.

Kyouya took off his glasses and held them between his index and thumb. He pinched the bridge of his nose, because he was getting slightly annoyed and was also wondering WHY they were taking so long. Hosting activities were to start in about an hour; they should have gone to the field right about now. But no, they were still in the dressing room! What on EARTH were they doing in there? He placed his glasses back on and saw Hani perched on Mori's shoulder; they were making their way to the dressing room. He decided to see for himself if whatever it was that was so **important** that they had to take so long of a time. With his black notebook and pen in hand, he trailed behind Hani and Mori and he was evidently slightly pissed.

Once at the dressing room's doorway, they sensed a very heavy tension coming from it. Haruhi stood in the middle, between Tamaki and the twins, and a dark demon aura emanated slowly around her. Her eyes were hidden behind a curtain of bangs as she casted her head downwards. All eyes were set to the only female member of the host club.

---

"Enough," Haruhi calmly said, but there was evident anger in her tone, her head still casted downwards.

The trio, which consisted of Tamaki and the devil twins, stopped tugging at her arms immediately but they didn't let go of their hold.

"Let go of my arms," she said again and you would think that they would oblige with her simple request, but nope, they didn't. They were still holding her arms, evidently refusing to let go any time sooner. They thought that Haruhi was only teasing with them, she was never angry before when they did this. So, why would it changed now?

"Why should we Haruhi?" the twins whined playfully, "You're our toy, we don't want to let go. Tono is the one who should let go," they chorused, each of them was snickering and they tugged her to their side slightly. Still, Haruhi's head was casted downwards.

"I shall not let go of my daughter! Those devil twins are the ones who should let go! They have no rights to touch you! I'm your father, so that means I have all the rights!" Tamaki dramatically explained and tugged Haruhi to his side. The twins rolled their eyes at Tamaki. Still, Haruhi's head was casted downwards and she didn't respond. **AT ALL.** She just stood there, motionless.

Mori was getting really annoyed with those three idiots. He felt like he wanted to snatch her away from their hands. Hani was getting angry because he knew those idiots were actually hurting her, he knew Haruhi was in pain. But he kept telling himself to not interfere. If matters got worse than before, he knew Mori would do something about it. Kyouya was scribbling something down in his notebook, even though he was annoyed because hosting hours would start soon, he wanted to see the outcome of this incident.

When Haruhi didn't respond at all, Tamaki and the twins turned confused and were getting slightly agitated with her sudden behavior. But they kept their hold on her arms, they refused to let go if the other party refused to let go. Three minutes passed by and it felt like an eternity. They loosened their grips on her arms but didn't really let go. "Ha…ruhi…?" they asked nervously and started to look at one another. Tamaki gulped rather loudly, and it echoed throughout the dressing room. It was **THAT** silent. The twins shifted anxiously in their positions beside her.

Everyone mentally counted to ten, except for Haruhi. The tension was getting heavier that neither of them, being Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru, dared to even breathe. Suddenly, she snatched her arms away from their grips with full force. Everybody in that room was stunned, excluding Kyouya and Mori; they just hid it better than anyone else. Tamaki and the twins' gaped at the girl standing between them with fear in their eyes; Haruhi was never like this before. Ever. Hani now stood behind Mori's long legs; his head peeked out just slightly to look at the brunette girl, he was nervous too.

She lifted her head slowly, and her eyes glinted off and narrowed to the three boys standing at either side of her; a sign that screamed a murder was about to happen (maybe) and the dressing room turned ice cold. The third demon has appeared.

"I am **NOT** an object to be _tugged_ at! I'm a human being, damn it! You _think_ it wasn't **painful** when you forcefully tugged at me from _both_ sides?!" she screeched calmly and her voice increased. Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru flinched at her tone; they didn't even dare to look her in the eye.

"Tamaki-senpai," she started again, her voice laced with pure venom as she shot him a death glare, "You are **NOT** my father! [**flinched**] Stop _claiming_ me as you daughter! [**flinched**] You do **NOT**, I _repeat_, do **NOT** have any rights over me!" Tamaki cowered behind a couch, found inside the dressing room, the twins snickered at their Tono and that was a _**wrong**_ thing to do, seriously.

"And you… So you _think_ this is _funny_?" Haruhi turned her head to the twins' direction and they stopped snickering immediately. She shot them a double death glare, "I am **NOT** some _toy_ of yours [**they flinched**]! Don't you two _dare_ claiming me as if I'm _yours_ [**flinched**]! You have **NO RIGHTS** to do that to me!" Haruhi was fuming with madness; and the twins joined their Tono behind the couch, whimpering in fear.

Haruhi felt like she wanted to murder those idiots with her own bare hands but decided not to and opted instead to send death glares to her wrath victims, who were now shaking uncontrollably behind the couch due to fear. She forced herself to be a lot more rational. Eventually she had calmed down little by little though the anger was still evidently there. Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru peeked slightly from the couch, so half of their faces were only shown. Their teeth were chattering due to the sudden winter cold room, so they huddled closer together with Tamaki being in the middle.

Hani approached her very carefully; Mori didn't make any move to stop him while Kyouya was furiously scribbling down notes throughout the whole third demon ordeal.

"Haru-chan," Hani started slowly. Haruhi whipped her head around to glare at the possible victim of her wrath, though her mind was clear enough and that prevented her from doing something rash.

"Are you okay?" Hani asked sweetly as he was evidently concerned for the well being of his close female friend, "Did they hurt you, Haru-chan?" he asked again and this time, he tilted his head to the side.

Haruhi softened her glare and nodded, "Yeah, they kinda did," she said while rubbing her arms to soothe the pain. Hani directed his gaze to the trio behind the couch, and he was no longer sweet Hani, so say hello to the Low Blood Pressure Beast! Hani sent lightning death glares and daggers towards them, and they screamed in fear, "Okaasan! Save us!" Tamaki screeched to Kyouya, and Kyouya ignored them of course. The twins and their Tono cowered further behind the couch when no sign of help was going to any sooner.

"Takashi," the Low Blood Pressure Beast Hani called, and Mori appeared beside behind him.

"Ah," he replied as if knowing what Hani wanted him to do. He turned to Haruhi who was now looking up at him, the glare nearly disappearing, "Come," he said as he put his hand on the small of her back and began to push her gently outside so they can make their way to the cherry blossom field. Haruhi blushed a bit, more to Mori's gesture than her anger towards those idiots.

Hani followed them as he stood next to Haruhi before he decided to send a final death glare towards Tamaki and the twins. "If you hurt Haru-chan again, I'll break your bones," he warned and added at the end, "Ne?" His face turned to his normal, child-like self again as he skipped out from the dressing room.

Mori stopped in his tracks and directed his gaze to the twins and their Tono. He gave them his silent but threatening glare, which roughly translated to, '_If you ever hurt her again, you won't be seeing daylight anytime sooner_' and he walked out the door with Haruhi beside him. They made their way to the field for hosting activities.

Kyouya just stood there at the doorway, notebook and pen in hand. He smirked at the outcome of Haruhi's wrath and spoke out, "You three better apologize to her in some way but then I _doubt_ she would forgive you _easily_," he explained calmly but his tone was laced with sarcasm, then he looked at the time on his watch, "Which reminds me, hosting activities will start in fifteen minutes. I suggest that you better _drag_ your asses to the field before _I_ come up with _ways_ for you to pay the _consequences_ if today's profits are not _satisfied_," with that he pushed his glasses up and it glinted off in the light, "And since this is _your_ idea Tamaki, I suggest that you better suck it up _before_ I throw you to my pet alligators who are _more than happy_ to eat you," he smirked and then made his way to the field to get ready for hosting.

Tamaki and his two loyal subordinates sat there for a full ten seconds, digesting all the information Kyouya just threw at them. They gulped nervously, especially Tamaki. He didn't want to be any alligators' meal. So the three got up immediately and sprinted towards the said cherry blossom field. They had faced the wrath of the Third Demon. They had faced a _little_ wrath from the Second Demon. And they _surely_ do **not** want to face the wrath of the Shadow King.

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**Author's note**: **Do you drill everyone! I look forward to reading your reviews. If you decide to flame me instead, I'll extinguished it and turn them into rubies~ XD**

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Yukata – traditional Japanese clothing.

Obi – a belt that comes with the yukata.

Okaasan – mother.

Ano – Um…

Ne – it's just Hani's way of talking sweetly and child-like.


	11. Cakes and Crumbs

**Author's note: **Here's the second part. Enjoy! And thank you everyone for the reviews! You guys make me happy! XD

**Disclaimer: **I'm not even making any profits out of this. ^^

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**Chapter 10 – Cakes and Crumbs**

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_Ouran Private Academy is defined by, one, prestigious families, and two, wealth. And prosperous people have much time of their hands. Therefore, this Ouran Host Club is about these handsome guys that have time giving hospitality to these lovely ladies that also have time and profit off of them. It's an elegant game unique to this super-rich school._

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When the clad of lovely young ladies in yellow dresses swung the gates inward to the cherry blossom field, swirls of rose with a mix of cherry blossom petals greeted them, and they found the host club dressed in traditional Japanese attire.

"Irrashaimase," the host club members chorused together.

Tamaki as usual, took the center position with his right hand extended to welcome the ladies and Kyouya stood behind his back, a pleasant smile plastered on his face. The twins were to Tamaki's left, Hikaru was standing with his hand on Kaoru's shoulder while Kaoru was kneeling down with one knee on the ground. Mori stood next to Tamaki with Haruhi right beside him (she refused to be anywhere near Tamaki and the twins at the moment). Hani stood in front of, and in between, Mori and Haruhi.

The young maidens squealed in delight at the sight of the hosts. They immediately went to sit on the provided blankets under a few large cherry blossom trees. The blankets were already laden with big picnic baskets that contained the most exquisite and expensive cuisines that you could ever imagined, thanks to the Ootori maids for providing such cuisines. Excited murmurs could be heard coming from the ladies as they await their designated hosts to come and spend time with them during this grand picnic event.

Tamaki had on a white yukata with a pattern of black diamond shaped dots and he was currently occupied with his designators. He whispered more sweet nothings to their ears, and embraced them delicately in his arms as he treated them like they were a piece of fragile glass.

"How do you enjoy this grand picnic, my princess?" he whispered to a young maiden with black short pixie-hair as he grasped her body to his chest. Her cheeks went stark red but she was able to calm herself despite the sudden increased in her heart beats.

"Tamaki-sama, I really enjoy it especially being with you," she averted her gaze to somewhere else as the blush on her cheeks darkened.

"Then princess, allow me to venture in your dreams tonight, so I shall be with you always," he tilted her chin with one finger and leaned in closer. The other girls looked on with much anticipation as they huddled closer and clasped their hands together.

"T-Tamaki-sama…" she whispered nervously though there was a hint of excitement in her voice. Will she be able to get her first kiss from the Prince type of the host club? Will Tamaki grant her secret desire? Suddenly, a wall of roses of assorted colours appeared out of thin air and blocked their view. Nobody was able to see what actually happened behind the rose wall. Though a faint gasped could be heard coming from it. It seemed like the said maiden fainted in the arms of Tamaki Suoh before he actually planted a kiss to her lips.

The other hosts seemed pretty busy as well including Kyouya as he was entertaining a few of the ladies with the productions of new merchandise. The twins were up to their brotherly love act as usual with Kaoru in Hikaru's embrace as they gazed longingly into each other's eyes.

"Kaoru…" Hikaru whispered to his double as he leaned in closer, arms wound around Kaoru's body.

"Hikaru…" Kaoru whispered his twin's name as he gazed longingly into his eyes, hands placed around Hikaru's shoulders.

Their designators squealed in excitement because they were able to witness another one of the beautiful brotherly love between Hikaru and Kaoru. They didn't dare closed their eyes as that would mean that they would be missing on this precious moment. Three girls fainted when they couldn't take it any longer.

---

Haruhi had a blank look plastered on her face; she didn't have any current designators to attend to, that means she had some free time to roam around the cherry blossom field. The wind was blowing gently against her skin; she smiled contentedly as she gazed upon the beautiful scenery surrounding her. An artificial lake was built near this chosen field, the blue water glistened against the blaring sun ahead and it reflected back like diamonds were scattered on the surface of this lake.

She stood a foot away from the lake's edges and enjoyed the warm breeze that was caressing her skin softly. This moment was perfect and it was peaceful. Her previous anger gradually disappeared though she still held a grudge against the twins and Tamaki. Well, at least for now, she had just better enjoy this moment in peace while it lasted. Besides, as Kyouya once put it, "Just like these cherry blossoms, beauty is such an ephemeral entity. It will always look different each moment of the day."

Just then, as she was lost in thought with the beauty before her, Mori excused himself to be somewhere else. Hani was able to handle things by himself at that moment; since all the ladies were watching him eat plenty of cakes, and they even fed the loli-shota with cakes. They seemed to enjoy watching Hani happily eating his desserts. Hani saw from the corner of his eye that Mori went to the brunette girl in the yukata by the lake. So, he decided to keep the ladies busy for a while. **(A/N: Good job Hani!)**

Mori walked silently to the girl by the lake who seemed so absorbed with the beauty set before her. He stood a few inches apart from her, eyes gazing out to the lake. "Mori-senpai," she acknowledged his presence without even bothering to look up at the tall boy beside her. It was as if she knew he was coming, maybe she became attuned with his presence lately that she wasn't even surprised when he came to stand here with her. Mori grunted softly in reply, he was happy to be in her presence. Even though Haruhi didn't know this, but she too was happy to be in his presence.

"Are you okay now, Haruhi?" he asked her as they watched the scenery together.

"Ah, I'm okay Senpai," she replied as a gentle smile formed slowly on her lips, "My arms are just a little sore from all the tugging they did," she added softly, eyes were still focused to the scenery before them.

He turned his body towards her and lifted his hand slowly. Haruhi looked up at the tall boy and stood there perfectly still. He laid his large palm onto the crown of her head and ruffled her hair lightly. She beamed up at him and gave him one of her genuine smiles. They stood there like that for what felt like an eternity as they gazed into each other's eyes. "Haruhi," he called her gently and Haruhi just stood there gazing at him with those huge, bright brown eyes of hers. She waited for his next sentence patiently. "I'll protect you always," he added after a few moments of silence and the rare smile formed slowly on his lips. She just nodded in reply and smiled softly.

---

Throughout the entire scene above, all the ladies were actually watching them. Even Kyouya took the opportunity to capture the moment with his hidden camera; the pictures taken shall boost the club's profits by ten percent or more. He smirked at his achievement. After the scene ended, squeals erupted from the fan girls and they had their moe moments. Suddenly a rumble from below could be heard nearby.

Renge, who was standing on a rotatable platform, had appeared from the ground. Nobody knew how she did that, it was as if she had her underground base everywhere on the Academy. She even appeared once at Ootori's Tropical Aqua Garden and that was in no way possible for her to appear, since the resort wasn't even anywhere near school. But, let's not talk about that, back to the story!

Her signature laugh erupted from her tiny body and when the platform stopped rotating, she began with her moe philosophy.

"It seems that Mori-kun has a thing for Haruhi-kun~" she began dramatically with one hand extended out and the other was kept to her chest, "What will happen to Hani-kun when Mori-kun's devoted attention went to Haruhi-kun instead?" the ladies gasped together when they realized this and hands were clasped with each other.

She continued, "But fear not ladies! Maybe Mori-kun will have to divide his attention to these two young men, certainly Hani-kun wouldn't mind, right?" she directed her gaze to the loli-shota who was currently devouring an assortment of cakes in front of him. Feeling a hundred eyes were glued to him, Hani looked up from his cakes at Renge, who was pointing a finger to him and a huge smile plastered on her face. He blinked several times with a fork stuck between his lips. Then his lips formed into a huge grin and cute pink flowers floated around his head, "Nope, I won't mind one bit! I want Takashi to be happy! He he," he replied happily and continued to eat his cakes as if he wasn't interrupted.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! HANI-KUN!" the ladies screamed in delight and excitement was plastered on their faces as they jumped around in joy. Mori and Haruhi blushed slightly when they heard what Hani said and directed their gaze back to the lake, with two sheepish smiles formed on each lip.

---

Hikaru stood up suddenly and made his way to Tamaki, Kaoru followed him from behind and concern over his brother was plastered on his face.

"Tono!" Hikaru called angrily once he reached Tamaki, "What are we going to do now?!" he fumed, his hands were clenched tightly and if they were any tighter, they might bleed. But Hikaru didn't care about that at all, not now anyway. Kaoru was extremely worried over him, though he knew he could do nothing at the moment especially at a time like this.

"What can we do?" Tamaki asked sadly as his eyes gazed to the couple by the lake.

"What do you mean what can we do?!" Hikaru yelled though not loud enough for the others to hear, "Mori-senpai is stealing her away, Tono! We have to do something about it! Do you want her to be taken away by him?!" he continued angrily, his body was slightly trembling from all the rage he had been keeping inside.

"Hikaru…" his double muttered softly, his eyes were filled with sadness. He turned to look at the couple by the lake; he saw how happy she was to be with the tall senpai. He didn't want to lose her just because they decided to take her away forcefully from Mori; he knew he would be ridden with so much guilt if he did that. He also knew he wanted her but not this way, not if it made the girl he loves unhappy. So he decided not to chase after her anymore, it was enough for him that they could be best friends. But what will his twin say? He was sure Hikaru wouldn't give her up easily, '_I guess I just have to prevent him from going too far_,' he thought silently.

During the midst of his thoughts, Hikaru and Tamaki had decided on something to break them apart. He didn't catch what the plan was, but he knew Hikaru would tell him later. He just had to wait patiently for now.

---

Haruhi spent the rest of hosting activities with Mori and Hani. Somehow, she really enjoyed hosting together with them even though the number of ladies kept on coming minute after minute. She didn't mind though because that helped to distract her angered thoughts of Tamaki and the twins. Yes, she was still angry at them. Yes, she would get her revenge one way or another. And no, she would not forgive them easily. Whatever happens in the future, Mori promised to protect her though she would prefer to do things by herself if she could. She was raised to rely on herself after her mother died, especially at times like this. She didn't really like the idea of other people helping her.

"Haru-chan!" Hani called her sweetly, "You want some cake?" he asked as he stared at her with his huge caramel eyes. Haruhi tilted her head to the side, and produced a gentle smile on her face, "That's okay, Hani-senpai," she said in a motherly sort of way, "Why don't you just enjoy them for me?" Mori smiled gently as he watched the small boy and the girl.

Hani gave her a huge grin, "Okay!" he replied and more pink flowers floated freely around his head and the ladies squealed, "Kawaii!"

"Takashi," Hani turned his head to his cousin beside him, "You want some cake?"

"Ah," he nodded and took the offered cake in Hani's small hands. Hani grinned happily.

Haruhi sat between her two senpais, she watched over Hani like a caring mother. "Haruhi-kun," one of the designators, named Sakura, spoke out and Haruhi looked at her with her natural smile, "You're such a motherly figure," Sakura complimented and gave her a smile, "If you were a girl, I know you'll be a good mother to your children and a devoted wife to your husband," she added, the smile still intact.

"Ah, thank you Sakura-san," Haruhi replied, a slight blush forming on her cheeks, "Though I know _you_ would be a caring mother to your children as well," she continued and Sakura blushed in response.

Mori smiled inwardly while he ate his cake, he _knew_ Haruhi would be a good mother to her children. He could see that from the start when Haruhi took good care of Hani. He wished silently that _he_ could be the husband she wanted. He knew he would take care of her and protect her with all the strength he had; that was his oath to her.

"Mori-senpai," Haruhi said as she interrupted his reverie and he gazed down to her, "You have a few crumbs," she lifted the napkin in her hand to his lips, "Here, let me help you," she gently brushed the crumbs away. She gave him a smile and turned her attention back to the designators in front of them (who squealed loudly with delight). A faint crimson streak formed along his cheeks due to her uncalled gesture. He continued eating his cake silently beside her, the blush was still there. Hani grinned happily as he looked between his two best friends. A triumphant smile formed on his child-like face.

Kyouya had already captured the moment when Haruhi cleaned Mori's crumbs and several other moments involving the said couple, he smiled gleefully inside at the thought of more future profits for the club. '_This will bring in more profits than before, maybe this relationship between them isn't such a bad idea after all. Oh well, I just have to prevent those idiots from interfering with my profit gainers,_' he thought silently as he pushed his glasses up while hiding a smirk behind his hand.

---

The hosting activities ended successfully for today and Kyouya, of all people, could not wait to see the profits they will be getting soon as soon as he posted the pictures he took on the host club's online website, for auctioned purposes.

Haruhi took a ride with Mori and Hani in one limousine. She rejected the offers from Tamaki and the twins when they offered to give her a lift home. They were, of course, devastated with this but Hikaru was more annoyed. She hadn't forgiven them yet and he thought she would be over it by now but apparently, she's too stubborn to let it go. Be it stubborn or not, it was their fault to begin with, yes? They were the ones who hurt her, who kept on pestering her with trivial things, who forced her to do things their way and not even bothering to give the slightest bit of attention when she refused them.

So, when Haruhi arrived home later that day and after she waved good bye to Mori and Hani, a smile was plastered on her face. There was only one reason why she smiled like that, and it was because of Mori. And her dad was glad that, for once, his daughter was happy.

---

**Author's note**: Yay! Yay! Another chapter done! Once you've finished reading it, tell me what you think about it. Drop me reviews my loyal readers! Because they make me HAPPY. Yes, HAPPY. And when I'm happy, I'd be able to do the next chapter. Yay! I could eat five bowls of rice, just like Renge-chan XD

Irrashaimase – Welcome.

Kawaii – Cute.


	12. Host Club's Special Event

**Author's note: Since today is my birthday, I'm treating you fellow readers to a long chapter! Enjoy reading it!**

**Disclaimer: I… do not own anything. That includes the songs used for this chapter. XD**

---

**Chapter 11 – Host Club's Special Event**

---

…**sometime around midnight at the Hitachiin Mansion in Hikaru and Kaoru's grand bedroom…**

Hikaru was lying on the king-sized bed that he and Kaoru shared together; he was facing up to stare blankly at the ceiling, thinking about nothing in particular. Kaoru was sitting on one of the window ledge of their grand bedroom with a book in his hand; he seemed to be engrossed in his book. The silence that accompanied them was still bearable; neither seemed the need to talk about anything.

Fifteen minutes passed by and Hikaru started tracing random patterns on the bed sheet with one finger, his eyes were still plastered to the ceiling and he was lost in his train of thoughts. He started to get bored and he lifted his head slightly to look at Kaoru, who was still engrossed in his book, then laid back again, continuing tracing random patterns.

"Kaoru," Hikaru called from the bed, his voice sounded far away.

"Hmm? What is it, Hikaru?" Kaoru replied without even looking up from his book.

"Kao-ru~" Hikaru whined childishly and he was a little annoyed when his twin brother didn't even give him the slightest bit of attention, but instead he was preoccupied with that stupid book of his.

Kaoru looked up from his book to stare at Hikaru for a few seconds, and then decided to lay his book down, after folding the corner of the page he was currently reading on, at the nearest table. "What is it, Hikaru? Is something wrong?" he asked concernedly and started to walk towards their bed, taking his time to reach there.

Once Kaoru plopped himself down at the edge of the bed, Hikaru spoke out, "Hey Kaoru," he started. Kaoru fixed his eyes to his twin's lying form and waited patiently for Hikaru to continue. "Do you think Haruhi likes us?" he asked out of the blue after a good twenty seconds of silence, his finger was still tracing random patterns on the bed sheet.

"Of course she does, Hikaru," Kaoru replied calmly, he didn't want to say that he actually didn't know whether she really liked them or not, "Is that what was bothering you this whole time?" He moved closer to Hikaru and lay down next to him. Kaoru placed one arm under his head and stared ahead at the ceiling, contemplating his own train of thoughts.

"If she likes us, Kaoru," he started again with that same bored and emotionless tone, "Then _why_ did she betray us like that? _Why_ did she choose to be with Mori-senpai instead of us? What does she _see_ in him? Isn't she _happy_ to be around us? Why must she be _so_ happy with Mori-senpai? She's **our** toy, **our** property. She _belongs_ to us. But she chose otherwise…" Hikaru trailed off quietly, tears were threatening to fall down from his now glistened eyes. But he was definitely angry with her. How _could_ she do this to them? How could she do this to _him_? (Him, meaning Hikaru himself)

Kaoru lay beside his twin quietly. He wasn't able to give any straight answers to Hikaru's questions. He didn't even know what to say. '_If I tell him to let Haruhi be happy with whoever she wants to be, I know he wouldn't oblige, I know he wouldn't listen and I know he would be hurting more,' _Kaoru thought deeply. The only thing he could do was firmly hold his twin's hand; he squeezed it tightly and gave him all the comfort Hikaru needed. _'Hikaru, _if_ you only see her as an _object _for your _possession_, then she wouldn't be happy at all…_' he trailed off silently to himself and squeezed Hikaru's hand again.

Hikaru leaned his head against Kaoru's chest and put his arm around his twin's waist, he wanted to be comforted. Kaoru smiled softly and gazed at Hikaru's head, he turned his body towards Hikaru's and put his hand around his twin's shoulder and held him tight. They stayed in that position until each of them drifted off to sleep. But before any of them really drifted off, Kaoru spoke out quietly, "Hikaru, let's apologize to Haruhi tomorrow," and Hikaru only mumbled a "yeah" in reply.

As soon as sleep overcame them, they began to dream about the girl who had opened up their world so that others could see them.

---

"Breakfast is on the counter, Dad! Itte kimasu!" Haruhi called out as she went outside of her and her Dad's apartment. She heard a muffled "Itte rasshai, Haruhi! Take care of yourself!" from her Dad's bedroom as he responded. "Hai! I will!" She ran down the flight of stairs and walked her way to the sidewalk.

The morning was rather pleasant; the sun was shining brightly and the wind was blowing gently. She enjoyed this morning walk with a smile on her face. She greeted back the people who called to her, either with a simple 'Hi' or a formal 'Good morning' and sometimes she just nodded and waved in reply.

Just as she was about to enjoy her morning walk peacefully, a black limousine slowed down next to her to match her pace. '_Damn rich bastards…_' she muttered silently and stopped in her tracks.

The black tinted window at the back of the limousine rolled down smoothly and two identical red-heads appeared from it. "Haruhi~" they called together, "Do you want a ride to school with us?"

"No, thank you," she replied curtly, "I'd rather walk to school than be in one car with you two," she added heatedly. Apparently, she was still angry with them. I wouldn't blame her though, who wouldn't be angry when some people seek fun by hurting others?

"Onegai, Haruhi? Ride with us this morning," Hikaru pleaded,

"We want to tell you something important," Kaoru added with a rather calm tone.

Haruhi stared at the two identical red-heads. A part of her wanted to just walk away and continue her morning stroll to school and another part of her told her to just get on it with, what if the 'something' they wanted to tell her was _really_ important? But what if it was _just_ one of their tricks again? So, she stood there by the sidewalk and contemplated on her choices. The twins looked at her knowingly, Hikaru was getting slightly impatient but he managed to hide his annoyance, while Kaoru calmly waited for her answer. After five minutes passed by, she let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, let's just get on with this."

Hikaru grinned while Kaoru just gave out a pleasant smile. Once she got in the limousine, the driver started his way to the Academy. It was rather silent for a couple of minutes and Haruhi just sat there at the far end of the leather seat, near to the window, as her eyes scanned the view outside as they drove by. She waited patiently for the twins to start talking about this _important_ matter of theirs. But when the silence kept on going, she let out a frustrated sigh, "What is it that you wanted to tell me?" she asked, slightly annoyed, she didn't even bother to turn her head towards the twins. She kept her eyes to scan the outside scenery.

From the corner of her eye, Haruhi saw Kaoru nudging lightly at Hikaru's arm. Hikaru let out the breath he was holding in and stared straight at Haruhi, Kaoru also turned his head towards Haruhi's direction.

"Haruhi," they began together in perfect sync and she turned her head towards the red-heads, her face was blank and clearly wasn't interested to hear whatever it was they were about to say. Yes, she _was_ still angry. "We apologize for yesterday," they said sincerely, no hint of sarcasm or humor, and Haruhi was slightly surprised by their sudden gesture. As far as she knew, the twins' sincere gesture was really rare to see.

"We didn't mean to hurt you like that," Hikaru added, his gaze turned to the floor of the limousine, guilt was written all over his face, "We're really sorry, Haruhi," he continued but Kaoru remained silent though he too was sad, "We don't want to lose your friendship over something stupid we did."

Haruhi looked at them fully and studied their expression, making sure it wasn't one of their stupid tricks. They were really sincere over the apology. Then, a soft smile formed slowly on her lips, "Mmm, I forgive you guys," she said softly, "It's not like I can stay mad at you guys forever," she chuckled softly. Hikaru and Kaoru's faces lighted up, "But," she continued, her expression was one of calmness, but her voice was full of venom and the twins froze, "If you do that again, this kind of apology will _not_ be accepted so _easily_."

The black limousine slowly halted at the front gates of Ouran Academy and the driver immediately went to open the door for his masters and their guest. Haruhi was the first one to step out but the twins remained inside, probably frozen to the core. "Aren't you guys coming?" Haruhi asked as she popped her head into the limousine. The twins were startled and scrambled out of the car. "Geez you guys, you didn't have to be so uptight about it," she chuckled as she looked at their expressions and they let out a sigh of relief, "C'mon, we're gonna be late for class." She strode off into the Academy with the twins by her sides.

---

It was another eventful day in Ouran Academy. Today, the host club is holding a special event for the lovely ladies. There will be a small, but grand nonetheless, concert in the Third Music Room, held by the Host Club. All the ladies of Ouran Academy will attend this concert. To make the concert more eventful, all the host club members will dress up as rock stars. Yes, rock stars, complete with black shirts and _tight_ leather pants.

"Damn it! I'm late again! Kyouya-senpai would definitely increase my debt. Crap! Why do I always get carried away when I stayed in the library?" Haruhi muttered angrily to herself, as she cursed and sprinted to the Third Music Room.

When she reached the room, Kyouya greeted her with a "Your late again, Haruhi. Another $10,000 will be added to your debt." He only smirked when he saw the expression on her face.

"Haaaaaa-ru-hiiiiiiiiii~," the twins greeted her at the doorway, "Come on~ you have to go change now, the event is going to start soon." With that, she was dragged into the dressing room, each twin taking hold of her arms, Hikaru on her right and Kaoru on her left. She had no choice but to listen to them and be dragged away like a lifeless ragdoll. '_Damn rich bastards_…' she thought.

"Here's your outfit, you better change quickly," they said as they pushed her into the dressing room. She looked at the parcel of clothing in her hands and sighed heavily. '_Oh well, I better get on with it before Kyouya-senpai decided to increase my debt again_'.

She went to retrieve her clothes from the parcel and stared at that them for a full one minute. "Why do I have the feeling that these things will make me more… feminine?" she sighed again and then, changed into her outfit. Looking at the vertical mirror, she turned to left and then to the right. "I was right, these clothes are making me look more _feminine_, but at least I won't have to wear a dress today." With that in thought, she smiled happily because it wouldn't be so troublesome after all.

Haruhi was wearing a short sleeve, one-shoulder blouse, black in colour. Even though the blouse was a bit tight to her body, she didn't mind the least. The leather jeans the twins provided her was low cut, almost down to her waist. Complementing those jeans were a pair of glossy, black three-inch strapped heels. She buckled the white diamond studded belt loosely onto her waist and wore the Celtic necklace the twins provided.

"Haruhi, are you ready yet?" Kaoru whined outside her dressing room, "We're coming in, okay?"

Haruhi was about to reply to Kaoru but decided not to when he barged in, Hikaru, tagging by his side.

"Hmmmmm…" they scrutinized her so intently while looking at her from top to bottom. "Something's missing… Ah! We got it!" They then pulled her to a chair and began to mess with her hair.

"What are you guys doing? Oy! Watch where y-! Ow! That hurts!"

Five minutes later, they scrutinized her intently again. "Perfect! ~" they declared in unison and gave each other a high-five. Haruhi turned to the mirror and was met with a short hair brunette staring back at her in awe. Her hair, more like her wig, was curled slightly halfway downwards, thus making them sort of wavy and her fringe was parted to the right. The girl in the mirror wasn't able to utter a single word out because she was awed by the other girl's simple beauty. The twins were grinning to each other, no doubt having made another successful job.

She then noticed the twins' outfits. They were wearing the same outfit, but with alternating colours, as if contrasting with each other. Hikaru was wearing a layered, sleeveless black and white, hooded shirt, while Kaoru wore a layered, sleeveless white and black, hooded shirt. Accompanying Hikaru's shirt was a ball chain necklace with a black carbon fiber. Kaoru's carbon fiber was white. The black beaded bracelet they wore on their wrist, Hikaru on the right and Kaoru on the left, really completed their attire.

"Come one Haruhi," each twin took hold of her hand, "the others are probably dressed up already."

---

While waiting for the host club to open, Haruhi observed the other hosts' attire; Tamaki was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and bluish-gray denim jeans, his attire looked perfect with his wavy blonde hair. A silver cross necklace was hanging on his neck. And Kyouya was wearing a sleeveless black, see-through shirt and it was covered by a leather jacket with its sleeves folded one-third to his elbow. Completing the jacket was a very tight black leather pants. As an accessory, he wore an arrowhead silver necklace and he replaced his glasses with temporary contact lenses, just for today's event no doubt. The absence of his glasses made him look… so heavenly good-looking without that touch of evil glint he seemed to possess.

She transferred her observations to the smallest Senpai. Hani wore a collared leather vest with the top three buttons loose, accompanying the vest was a black leather jeans. She then travelled her attentions to her tallest Senpai, a slight blush was developing as she observed his attire, while her enormous brown eyes slightly widen with admiration. Mori wore an opened black turtle-neck leather vest, which revealed his perfectly contoured body. Around his neck was a black leather necklace and that necklace was intertwined with another silver necklace. It hung loosely on his neck, swaying in tiny motions whenever he moved. His pants were leather tight, and it was of course, black in colour. Two chains were dangling on the right side of his leather pants. His looks were no doubt, a rock-star's.

Haruhi didn't notice, but her mouth was slightly parted when she stared at Mori. '_He looks… like a rock-star. He's really good-looking in that outfit…_' Haruhi thought endlessly in her mind.

"Take your places, children. The host club will open soon." Kyouya announced and Haruhi snapped from her trance.

---

As the door to the Third Music Room opened, rose petals magically swirled and the girls were greeted by a rock band.

"Irrashaimase," the hosts chorused together.

---

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" screams from fangirls filled the room, part of them jumped enthusiastically; part of them fell to the floor with a silent thud because they weren't able to handle the pressure from the beauty of the hosts' and part of them were definitely drooling a massive pool of saliva.

"My lovely princesses," the 'Host King' started, "today we're holding a special event just for every single one of you beauties. We are holding a rock concert in this very room, and you will be the very lucky audience to witness such memorable event." At this point, Tamaki was giving the ladies' a look so smoldering and alluring, that a few of them literally sky-rocketed and flew up the ceiling.

---

While Mori and the twins were setting up the instruments for the concert, the other hosts' were visited by their designators.

"Haruhi-kun, you look really cute in that outfit." one of her regular designators, named Yuki, complimented her, with a slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Eh? But I seem to look normal like this," Haruhi waved one hand over her outfit, and then she added bluntly, "You're cute too, even if you're in your school uniform." She gave her designator her signature natural/rookie smile. Yuki blushed furiously and fainted a few seconds later.

"Yuki-sama! Daijoubu?!" her friends asked worriedly, concern planted on their faces.

"Yuki-san?" Haruhi asked, evidently concerned as well, while leaning over to Yuki.

Yuki slowly opened her eyes, and blushed furiously again when she noticed Haruhi was leaning so close to her. "I-I'm… alright." she stuttered, obviously embarrassed. Haruhi offered her hand to help her up and Yuki took it, while smiling sheepishly, evidently, still embarrassed by what had happened. A small cough interrupted the moment and it held everyone's attention. They turned to see who it was and apparently, Kyouya has an announcement to make.

"My ladies, if you please walk this way," he gestured with his right hand, "So you'd be able to see the concert. It will be starting soon, in about a few minutes." he announced.

The ladies reluctantly followed him, a large platform (I don't know how it fitted inside the music room but it did) was set up and seats were arranged in front of it. "Princesses, please take your seats while waiting for the concert to start." Kyouya instructed and gave them his hosting smile. The Kyouya fan group swooned and admired Kyouya from a far, sighing every now and then, as if in content.

The curtains were still closed. The host members were preparing themselves. Tamaki took the lead as male vocalist. Mori as the lead guitarist for this band (because he fits the criteria), while Kyouya as the bassist. Hikaru will be the second lead guitarist while Kaoru will be the keyboardist. Hani and Haruhi is the drummer and female vocalist, respectively.

---

As the curtains were drawn to reveal the band on stage, screams of fangirls filled the Third Music Room again. Some of them were cheering while some of them were crying; probably feeling happy that their dream of seeing the host club members as a band finally came true in the end.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" more screams were shouted.

Mori started the opening of the song with his black and white electric guitar in hand, followed by Hani and the rest of the band. Tamaki started to sing come his cue. Only Haruhi wasn't on stage because it wasn't her turn to sing yet, so she stood at the sidelines, watching the other members performed.

_Go-sen mairu hashitte iki o kirashite  
Adorenarin hyaku rittoru gotai subete furu kadou_

Girls were cheering and screaming out loud: "Mori-kun!", "Tamaki-sama!", "Hani-kun!", "Kyouya-sama!", "Hikaru-kun! Kaoru-kun!" and the famous, "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!".

"Everyone's really _good._" Haruhi muttered to herself as she watched them play. Then, she remembered the conversation she had with the twins a few days ago.

---

_**Flashback – a few days ago**_

"_Ne, ne, Haruhi," Hikaru started off. _

"_Whatever it is, the answer is no," Haruhi stated firmly, eyes narrowing indicating her annoyance._

"_We want you to sing Sakura Kiss during the concert," Kaoru finished, ignoring Haruhi's early statement._

"_Yes, wouldn't it be fun, my precious daughter, for you to sing during the concert along with Otou-san?" Tamaki coaxed her while placing his arms around her small frame._

"_No." she stated again, holding her ground. She refused to oblige to their requests._

"_Why should I sing too? Isn't it enough for you to sing, Tamaki-senpai? Besides, why are we holding a concert again? Do you guys even play instruments?" she said indifferently, she seemed to forget the fact that she had no problems with the concert during the meeting yesterday._

"_Of course we do, Haruhi," Hikaru answered, almost taken aback by her indifference attitude._

"_Everyone in this club knows how to play at least one instrument," Kaoru continued, while patting Hikaru's back, comforting his twin from Haruhi's indifferent questions._

"_Even though you only see Tono play the piano, doesn't mean we don't know how to play it," they said in unison, "besides, our parents made us practice music since we were small. We just never showed it." They shrugged simultaneously. Haruhi gritted her teeth, muttering 'damn rich bastards...'_

_**End of flashback**__—_

---

…_**Currently…**_

The host club members decided to perform '_Shissou_' and '_Sakura Kiss_' during the concert. Tamaki will sing '_Shissou_' and Haruhi will sing '_Sakura Kiss_'. "It does prove them right when they said they can play the instruments." Haruhi muttered while her left foot was tapping to the rhythm of the music. '_Damn rich bastards and their free time…_' she cursed silently.

Then her focus turned to Mori. She stared in wonder and smiled gently as he played his guitar flawlessly and somewhat, a little envy with his talent. "He looks really hot in a rock star's outfit… He plays really well too. Heck, he'd be able to pass as a real rock star…" she trailed off.

Her eyes then travelled to his bare, masculine chest, to his contoured body, to his perfectly sculpted, but real nonetheless, abs. She lingered her stares there, imagining how her hands would feel on his body. Suddenly, her eyes were only focused at Mori only, while the others seemed to cease to exist. '_What is this feeling I'm having?_' Haruhi wondered to herself. She then shakes her head vigorously, trying to dislodge her impure thoughts.

_Sabireta machi ni natsukashii kaze ga fuki  
Oikaze ni natte senaka osu n da_

'_Am I falling… in _love_ with him? That can't be possible because that's just __**way**__ too impossible to begin with…_' she wondered again and this time, she stared intently at the lead guitarist.

As if by some force of nature (or instinct), Mori turned his head to Haruhi's direction and gazed at her, while still playing the guitar perfectly. Even though his face was expressionless, she saw the question in his eyes, '_Are you okay, Haruhi?_' She blinked once, as if in response, '_I think so…_'and she added a small sheepish smile to him, '_I'm okay, nothing to worry about._'

_Migite hidarite furikazashite yami o kirisaite GO!_

"We have one more performance for you! So, please stay seated while we take a ten-minute break!" Hani announced as he stood in the middle of the platform. He grinned and waved good bye as the boys went backstage to where Haruhi is while the ladies squealed in excitement.

"Haruhiiiiii~" Tamaki cried out, dragging the '_I'_ at the end, as soon as they were off stage. Apparently, Haruhi's wrath from yesterday didn't seem to affect him much. She's not surprised though since he recovered from his previous woes instantly. "My precious daughter," he murmured as he held her from behind, "were you feeling lonely when Daddy was performing just now?"

"Iie." she pinched his hand, stepped away and gave him a blank look.

Tamaki went immediately to his dark corner of woe and started poking at one of the mushrooms that seemed to appear out of thin air. "Daughter is being mean to her Daddy…" he muttered to himself.

"You're _not_ my Dad, Tamaki-senpai." she glowered and gave him a dark, menacing look, her eyes glinted for a full two seconds. Tamaki yelped an "eep!" and shrank further into his dark corner. The twins were grinning at each other at their Tono's sight and started poking at his face, one twin at each side, evidently enjoying the moment. "Poor Tono~" they snickered and continued to harass Tamaki. He then began to scream angrily at the twins while he chased them around the room. The twins grinned and snickered, but ran from him nonetheless.

Kyouya took the opportunity to continue his work on his Pineapple laptop, adding more data in the process, probably about the future increased in percentage on sales when the new rock-star merchandise and photo stocks are distributed. Mori grabbed a bottle of sparkling water on the refreshment table and gulped down all its contents in thirty seconds. Hani was halfway finished with eating most of the cakes provided for refreshment. Haruhi sat comfortably on one of the plush chairs, took the CD player with her and plugged in the headset. She was rehearsing last minute for the song she was said to perform, just to make sure she wouldn't forget the lyrics. Her head nodded slightly with the rhythm.

"Ten minutes up! Haruhi-kun, it's your turn to perform!" Renge appeared suddenly, her head popped in the backstage break room. Apparently, Renge appointed herself as the manager for the band, but somehow, nobody had a problem with it.

"Coming!" Haruhi scurried off to get ready, the others followed suit behind her.

They stood in position and Haruhi took the lead as female vocalist, it was Tamaki's turn to watch from the sidelines. As the curtains were drawn, screams of fangirls erupted in the Third Music Room. Hani started off first by beating his drum, a sign to start of the song, and Haruhi took that as her cue and began singing '_Sakura Kiss_'.

_KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE  
MAYBE YOU'RE MY LOVE_

With that said, Mori started his part and the others followed too. More screams erupted inside the music room, a couple of girls weren't able to hold themselves and fainted to the floor, like soft jell-o. Haruhi was dancing to the rhythm and to the music, twirling the microphone around her every now and then. She really enjoyed being on stage during that moment. Usually, she would shy away and avoid the centre of attention as much as possible.

_Aitai ima Yasashii kimi ni Sakura kissu Tokimeitara Ranman koishi yo  
Mirai yori mo Ima ga kanjin Uruwashi haru no koi wa Hanasaku otome no bigaku_

At one point during the performance, she went to stand back-to-back with Mori as he played the electric guitar while she sang her heart out, evidently unaware of her actions because she seemed to be really absorbed during her performance. In just a very brief moment consisting of a few micro-seconds, if one paid enough attention, there was a ghost of a smile lingering on Mori's lips. He didn't seem to mind at all with her actions, intentional or not. But he enjoyed it nonetheless and let her do what she wants.

Tamaki's jaw dropped to the floor at the sight, his spirit flew out of his body immediately. "H-H-Haruhi…!" one hand stretched out to try and reach her, but alas, nobody seems to be paying any attention to his well-being.

…_**enter Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre…**_

A volcano erupted somewhere, gushing out hot molten lava into the atmosphere. Tamaki's spiritless body was blown into the abyss, deep into the black holes of outer space. He was too shocked to recover himself, so he let his body blew aimlessly into the darkness, while one hand reached out to hold onto something solid but he was only clutching to empty air. Far, far away he went into the abyss, never to recover from his idiotic thoughts.

As soon as he was nearing to the welcome gates of the abyss, he snapped and flew straight back to reality!

"I will not let my daughter be corrupted!" he suddenly declared.

…_**end of Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre…**_

…_**Back to the concert…**_

_Aitai ima Yasashii kimi ni Sakura kissu Tokimeitara Ranman koishi yo  
Mirai yori mo Ima ga kanjin Uruwashi haru no koi wa Hanasaku otome no bigaku YEAH  
Hanasaku otome no bigaku_

Everyone seemed to enjoy the concert right now. Even the ladies were having a hard time to hold themselves together. The ending was nearing, and at this point, Haruhi was moshing by herself on the stage, hands high up, clapping in tune to the music.

_KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE  
MAYBE YOU'RE MY LOVE_

As the song ended, Haruhi grinned at Mori, her eyes twinkled with amusement. Although Mori didn't grin back as much as she did, she could still see the amusement planted in his gray eyes.

The ladies cheered for an encore, clearly unwilling to let the concert end just yet. The hosts' were still enthused with the performance, so they decided to perform an encore to satisfy the ladies' desires.

Tamaki strode gently towards the centre of the stage; his sudden appearance hushed the squealing ladies. He spoke out, "Please be patient my beautiful princesses." His purple eyes sparkled with raw passion filled with undying love. "If you desire an encore, then there _will_ be an encore."

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! TAMAKI-SAMA!!" the ladies up front fainted when they met with Tamaki's smoldering gaze. The ladies at the back squealed "Moeeeee!" and skipped up and down like little children who were given an infinite amount of candy.

As soon as they were offstage, Tamaki glomped Haruhi from behind, tightening his grip on her as he did so. "Haruhiiiiiiii! You performed really well just now! That's my daughter! Always following her Daddy's footsteps!" he beamed while still hanging on to her.

"Senpai. Get off me." she replied indifferently and added, "You are _not_ my Dad."

She pinched, and twisted his hand, which threatened to cut her breathing short. Tamaki snatched his hand back, and in doing so, he released his grip on her. Haruhi took that opportunity to stand near Mori and Hani. She made light conversation with them and smiled every now and then. Even Mori smiled a little, as he rarely smiles, and when he smiled, he would place his huge palm on top of her head and ruffled her hair softly. Hani grinned from the gesture his cousin showed to the girl.

"I have to carry out the plans fast," Tamaki plotted in his mind and watched with envy as his 'daughter' was being 'violated' by Mori.

As if sensing something bad was going to happen, Hani turned his attention towards Tamaki and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him, which clearly meant '_If you interfere, I will step in,_' and the demon aura Hani possesses emanated slowly around him. Tamaki yelped and cowered away in fear.

"Hmm?" Haruhi noticed Hani's attention was somewhere else. "Hani-senpai? Daijoubu?" Haruhi tilted her head to side, wondering what was wrong with him. Mori stared downwards to Hani, studying his expression.

Suddenly, pink puffy flowers appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the small senpai's chibi head. "I'm okay, Haru-chan! He he." He grinned in reply. Mori knew something was up.

---

**Author's note: I'll post the encore tomorrow because I need to re-edit some stuff. XD**

**Okay people! Do your thing! Leave reviews once you finished reading them, think of it as a gift for my birthday! Hehe. **

Itte kimasu – I'm leaving (and coming back)

Itte rasshai – Go and come back – a response to the above phrase

Hai – Yes

Onegai – Please


	13. Mata Ashita!

**Author's note – Yay! I got more than five reviews! Thank you everyone for giving me your support! *wipes tears away* and thank you to Ouranfangirl and LynnDe for the birthday wishes! XD**

**Here's the encore chapter, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer – I do ****not**** own Ouran or its characters, all credits go to Bisco Hatori-sama! I don't even own the song~ But can I have a Takashi plushie doll? XD**

---

**Chapter 12 – Mata Ashita!**

---

"Are you ladies ready for the encore?" Haruhi announced loudly, with a microphone in hand. Her huge warm, brown eyes sparkled, and her natural smile graced her lips. The ladies screamed and squealed in excitement in reply. "Then let's do this!" More screams and squeals erupted in the third music room. "Clap your hands high up in the air, ladies!"

**Tamaki:**_ Itsu datte kimi no koto o Bokura wa koko de matteru kara  
Ya na koto ga atta no nara Bokura ni hanashi o kikasete yo_

Sakki made naite ita (Nakanai de) Kimi no kanashii kao mo (Sugu ni)  
Hora bokura nara Itsu no ma ni Egao ni kaeru

**Everybody:**_ Mata ashita! Hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
Sumikitta aozora ukabu kumo no yo ni  
Muneippai Hi no hikari abite Arukidasou  
Boku to_

**Kyouya:**_ Kudaranai joudan datte kimi wa warau ka mo shirenai keredo  
Tada kimi no yorokobu kao ga Bokura wa itsumo mitai dake nanda_

**Twins:**_ Sakki made futte ita (Daijoubu) Doshaburi amagumo mo (Sugu ni)  
Hora bokura nara Warai tobashite Aruite yukeru_

**Everybody:**_ Mata ashita! Hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
Wa ni natte Tsunaida te to te no nukumori o  
Itsu made mo wasurenai you ni Arukidasou Boku to_

**Tamaki:**_ Kenkashite Surechigau toki datte (Donna toki datte)  
Kimi ni aeta koto ni Koukai wa nai kara_

**Everybody:**_ Mata ashita! Hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
Sumikitta aozora ukabu kumo no yo ni  
Muneippai Hi no hikari abite Arukidasou_

Mata ashita! Hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
Wa ni natte Tsunaida te to te no nukumori o  
Itsu made mo wasurenai you ni Arukidasou

Mata ashita! Hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
Sumikitta aozora ukabu kumo no yo ni  
Muneippai Hi no hikari abite Arukidasou  
Boku to

"That marks the end of this special event!" Renge announced as she took center stage when the song ended. The hosts stood at both her sides as cheers and claps erupted from the crowd. Ladies screamed in delight and excitement was clearly planted on their faces.

"We hope you enjoy today's concert, princesses," Kyouya said with a pleasant hosting smile gracing his lips. The ladies swooned by his heavenly good-looking features, and a few less fortunate fainted to the floor with a soft _thud_.

"And we hope to be indulge by your worthy presence again, hime," Tamaki bowed graciously and gave one of his prince-like dazzling smile. Tamaki's fans squealed in joy as the heavenly beautiful prince threw a rose into the crowd, they fought like savaged beasts in order to retrieve the single rose. Tamaki just stood there with all the twinkles and sparkles surrounding him.

"Mata ashita hime-san! We'll see you all during the summer beach party tomorrow!" all the hosts bowed down graciously while Renge curtsied to the crowd of ladies in front of the platform stage. And out of nowhere, a storm of rose petals swirled in the air and filled the Third Music Room with the roses' scents. It was the perfect ending for the event.

---

The ladies departed from the music room as they giggled and conversed together about the event. Their eyes sparkled in awe and admiration, their cheeks blushed slightly at the sight of the hosts, and more importantly, they really _did_ enjoy the concert.

"Haruhi-kun looked so cute in that outfit; he really does look like a girl!"

"Tamaki-sama is so handsome!"

"Did you see Kyouya-sama? He looks **extra** gorgeous without his glasses!"

"Hikaru-kun and Kaoru-kun were perfect! They are really talented."

"Even Hani-kun was amazing!"

"Mori-kun is **HOT**! _Insanely_ hot! Did you _see_ his perfectly contoured abs?! *swoons*"

"I can't wait for tomorrow's summer beach party!"

---

As the hosts were getting ready to depart for home, Kyouya had an announcement to make, "If I may have your attention please," Kyouya said as he pushed his glasses up; the glare from the light hid his eyes. All the other hosts turned to stare at the Shadow King, "Since summer break will start right after the summer beach party, we will all be staying at one of the my family's beach resort for two weeks," he said as he scribbled something down into his notebook, "Are there any objections?" his glasses gave off another glare, which signified that should anyone object, there _will _be consequences to pay. All the other hosts gulped nervously, except for Mori of course.

"Nope, no objections here! We look forward to summer break!" the twins chorused together as they linked their arms.

"I don't have any objections either, and Mommy knows that," Tamaki said, though he seemed to be nervous about something.

"Yay! Summer break! Wouldn't that be fun, Takashi?" Hani asked as he looked up at his cousin, cute pink flowers appeared and floated around his head.

"Ah," was Mori's only reply, clearly he had no objection.

Haruhi sighed heavily, '_there goes my chance of having my own free time without the host club, and I thought I would never have to go with them but I bet Kyouya-senpai would increase my debt if I didn't go,_' she thought miserably.

"And Haruhi," Kyouya said, capturing the girl's attention instantly, "If you don't go, I might have to increase your debt by twenty thousand yen," he smirked as she twitched in annoyance.

'_Damn_,' she thought, '_he reads minds now? I'm not really surprised about that part though._'

"And I don't read minds Haruhi, it's just an Ootori trait," he smirked again as he pushed his glasses up.

Haruhi gaped in shock then recovered instantly, "Fine, I'll go," she said grudgingly, "It's not like I have any choice," she pouted and crossed her arms together.

"Don't worry precious daughter! Daddy will keep you company during the whole two weeks! We shall play commoner's games together!" Tamaki appeared suddenly behind her and held her to his chest. Haruhi planted a bored and blank look on her face.

The twins shoved Tamaki out of the way and Tamaki screamed at the doppelgangers in the background, obviously trying to pry his 'daughter' from the twins' hold, "Ne Haruhi, we have a few swimming suits for you to wear. They're from our mother's designs," two identical Cheshire grins formed on two identical faces as they linked their arms with the girl in the middle. Haruhi's mask was still on, she sighed inwardly. '_Mother in Heaven, why are they being such idiots in this world?_'

Hani and Mori looked on at the group while Kyouya scribbled something in his notebook. Even though Mori's face was stoic, he was actually jealous over the three guys who surrounded Haruhi but at the same time he felt happy because Haruhi had placed her blank mask on, which roughly signified that she didn't give any interest with the conversation that went on which practically centered around her.

Somehow Tamaki managed to pry the twins off of his 'daughter'. "Haruhi, I'll be picking you up early tomorrow morning, since it's a father's duty to do so~ It's only fitting for Daddy to be in one car with his precious daughter," Tamaki said dramatically, complete with hand gestures.

"Milord, you're such a pervert!" the twins said together, "To be in one car with Haruhi, what are you trying to do, Tono?" they snickered as Tamaki's expression changed.

"I AM NOT A PERVERT! I DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY!" Tamaki screeched and began chasing the twins around the music room, then retreated back to Haruhi, "Daughter, don't listen to them! Those twins are devils!" he gestured dramatically with his hands, "Daddy would never do such a thing!" he shouted at her face as his face turned red with embarrassment.

"Tono is a pervert~" Hikaru and Kaoru sang. Tamaki began to chase them again.

"Haruhi! Don't listen to them! They're all lies!" Tamaki shouted to her as he chased the twins around.

Haruhi watched with disinterest as Tamaki chased the twins around, her face was blank. "Hentai," she said indifferently and went to the kitchenette. The twins snickered loudly at her response. Tamaki immediately went to retreat to his dark corner of woe, muttering words like, "trust", "not believing her own Daddy" and bla bla bla. (**a/n: silly Tamaki, Haruhi doesn't seem to care one bit**)

"Okay everyone, it's time to go," Kyouya announced as he tucked his notebook under his arm, "the last one to leave, make sure to lock the door." He went to retrieve his briefcase and walked to Tamaki's dark corner of woe, "Come Tamaki," Kyouya said and dragged Tamaki by the collar while Tamaki was still being sullen over Haruhi's remark.

"Ja~ ne," the twins chorused, arms linked together and walked in sync, out of the music room.

"Let's go Takashi," Hani said as he climbed up to Mori's shoulders and they strode out the door.

All that's left was Haruhi, she opted to stay back since it was her duty to clean after hosting activities (even though today was an event, she still has to clean after it)

---

…_**Outside the Academy…**_

The others have left already, except for Hani and Mori, though their limousine was already waiting for them at the front gates. They were now standing side by side.

"Mitsukuni," Mori called suddenly.

Hani turned his head towards his tall cousin, "You wanna help Haru-chan, ne?" he grinned, knowing that that was what Mori wanted to do.

"Ah," Mori replied and nodded his head once.

"Okay! You go help Haru-chan," Hani said as the grin was still intact, "Take her home afterwards, okay?" Mori nodded again in reply. "Bye Takashi! Take care of Haru-chan!" Hani waved as he climbed into the waiting limousine with Usa-chan in his hands. Mori waited for the limousine to drive away, and then retreated back into the academy.

---

Haruhi was in the midst of cleaning the music room when the door opened quietly. She didn't notice the tall figure leaning at the doorway, watching her intently. She was too preoccupied at the moment because when she started cleaning, she would lose track of time.

Mori watched the girl intently, his gaze following her every move. '_She still doesn't notice that I'm here, maybe I should call her,_' he pondered silently. "Haruhi," he called in that deep tone of his as he strode to her spot.

Haruhi whipped her head to the newcomer and was surprised to see Mori. But she nodded and smiled when he approached nearer. "Mori-senpai," she asked as she gazed at him with her huge brown eyes, "What are you doing here? I thought you went home already," she said and tilted her head slightly to the side.

'_Cute_,' he smiled inwardly when Haruhi tilted her head. "I want to help," he said simply and gave her one of his rare to be seen smiles as he gazed down at her.

"Okay," she said reluctantly and smiled in reply. '_It's certainly better than one manpower, with two people, we would be able to finish the job a lot faster_,' she thought silently, grateful that Mori showed up, '_I'm glad it was him who showed up_,' her eyes twinkled slightly with Mori's presence and there was an amuse smile playing on her lips. Mori caught the twinkle in her eyes, since he was _very_ aware with his environment and chuckled inwardly as he processed her expressions.

'_I'm glad I showed up_,' Mori thought in his head and gave out a chuckle. Haruhi raised an eyebrow at Mori, the amused smile was still there, "Something funny, Mori-senpai?" she asked and tilted her head again.

"Nothing," he smiled and shakes his head sideways, "Let's clean up."

"Okay, let's go."

They spent roughly about an hour with the cleaning and they spent it with comfortable silence. Neither seemed the need to talk to one another, since they both enjoy the silence engulfing them.

"Alright, Senpai," Haruhi said once she was finished with the last sweeping, "I think that's it and it's getting pretty late already." They went to put the brooms back to the store cupboard and Haruhi went to retrieve her belongings in the dressing room. "Okay then, let's go," she said happily and walked side by side with Mori out of the music room.

---

…_**On the way to Haruhi's apartment…**_

They decided to walk their way to the apartment. Mori insisted that he should accompany her home and that Hani told him to do so. Haruhi nodded in reply since she really couldn't say no when he insisted so much like this.

The walk was pleasant and the sun was currently setting. Cherry blossom petals fell off from their trees when the wind shook them. With this perfect scenery, Mori and Haruhi would have looked a lot like a couple, except that Haruhi was wearing a boy's uniform. Nonetheless, Mori enjoyed their time together, even though it was only a short walk to her apartment.

"You look cute in the rock-star's outfit," Mori suddenly said as they walked along the sidewalks, under the cherry blossom trees.

"E-eh? T-thank you, Mori-senpai," she said and a crimson shade developed on her cheeks. They spent the next few minutes in silence, then Haruhi bluntly said, "You look really hot in the rock-star's outfit," and the crimson shade darkened. She casted her eyes downwards because she was too embarrassed to look at him after that _blunt_ compliment she gave out.

"Ah," he replied with his usual single syllable. If Haruhi had looked up then, she would notice the crimson shade on his face and a rare smile planted on his lips. So, both were _equally_ embarrassed with each other's compliments and even though they don't notice, both were actually _happy_ to hear the compliments coming from the other's mouth.

"Thank you for accompanying me, Mori-senpai," Haruhi said as she stood at the doorway of her apartment. A soft smile was lingering on her lips as she gazed into his eyes. "Have a safe journey."

"Ah," he nodded and smiled to her. His dark gray eyes were gazing at her intently.

As Haruhi turned to enter the apartment, Mori called her name, "Haruhi," she turned around instantly, only to see that Mori's face was a few inches away from her. She stood still, frozen to the core perhaps. All she knew was, she couldn't move. She wasn't afraid though, not of Mori anyway.

Mori leaned in closer and kept his gaze to her eyes. Then he planted a soft kiss to her lips, "Goodbye, Haruhi," he whispered to her ear and a smile graced his lips, "I'll see you tomorrow," and when he straightened back, a faint blush crept along his cheekbones.

Haruhi stood frozen at the doorway of her apartment as she watched Mori went home in his limousine (he called his chauffeur before they reached the apartment). When the limousine disappeared from her peripheral sight, she slowly touched her lips that Mori just _kissed_. It was cool. '_His lips were… soft_,' she concluded and blushed furiously and ran to her room after closing the front door.

'_Mori-senpai just kissed me! He just _kissed_ me!_' she screamed frantically in her head as she hid under her blanket. She calmed herself down, '_But… I _kinda_ liked it…_' she blushed more and stayed covered under the blanket for the rest of the day.

---

**Author's note – Mori finally kissed Haruhi! Yay! XD**

**Okay people, do your thing! I'm looking forward to read your reviews! Next chapter will be the beach!**

Hentai – Pervert.

Mata ashita! – see you tomorrow!

Hime – princess

-san – an honorific that accompanies a name.


	14. Static

**Author's note – Thank you so much for the awesome reviews guys! I feel so honored! ^_^**

**LynnDe – yup, I had a good birthday! Thank you for asking. XD**

**Scherherazade – well, you'll have to wait and see! I'm not giving any spoilers. Hehe.**

**Novellover – I just had to wait for the perfect moment for him to initiate the kiss, but rest assured there's more to come. XD**

**On to the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything. I swear. Except this fanfic's story plot. **

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**Chapter 13 – Static**

---

_Cringggg._

Haruhi woke up with a start when her alarm clock broke off.

"Haruhi," Ranka called as he shook her awake, "Wake up little girl, you don't want to miss your ride now, do you?" Haruhi groaned in her sleep as she slowly opened her eyes to look at the man with wavy red hair above her.

"Five more minutes, Dad," she mumbled and turned sideways to sleep again.

"Ara, Haruhi dear," Ranka shook her again, "The boys from the host club are here already. Don't you want to go the beach for that summer beach party thing? I could tell Kyouya-kun that you're not-"

At the mention of Kyouya's name, Haruhi shot up from her futon and immediately went to the bathroom. Ten seconds later, she hastily walked back out from the bathroom to grab her towel in her bedroom. "Crap! I'm late! I'm late!" she muttered angrily to herself, "Kyouya-senpai is gonna raise my debt again!" She slammed the door to the bathroom behind her and quickly took her shower.

Six boys, make that four since Kyouya and Mori placed stoic expressions on their faces, stood in surprise as they watched Haruhi going to and fro from the bathroom to her bedroom then back again. Ranka appeared from Haruhi's bedroom with a huge smile on his face.

"Ara, what are you boys standing there for?" Ranka approached them, "Are you peeking at my daughter?" his voice changed and his eyes glinted evilly. The four boys rushed into the living room and they stumbled on top of one another. The other two boys watched with blank expressions as Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru and Hani scurried off to take their 'commoner sitting' position around the compact living room. Ranka sat next to Kyouya who sat next to Tamaki. Mori was next to Ranka's other side. They waited for Haruhi to finish with her morning shower.

"So, Kyouya-kun," Ranka started cheerfully, "What's the summer beach party about?"

"Well, Ranka-san, it's to celebrate the beginning of summer break," Kyouya explained with his hosting smile plastered on his face, "Basically, we'll be having tournaments during the day and fireworks display at night."

"It sounds like a lot of fun, Kyouya-kun," Ranka laughed merrily in reply, "I wish I could join you boys."

"Then, why don't you join us, Ranka-san?" Kyouya asked with that same hosting smile.

"I wish I could, but I can't," Ranka replied with a slight tone of sadness, "I'll be helping Misuzu-san the whole summer break at the pension," his voice lighten up, "May I ask a favor from Mori-kun?" he turned his head to his other side.

"Ah," Mori replied in his usual single syllable, waiting for Ranka's request.

"I need you to take care of my Haruhi during your stay at Kyouya's family's beach resort, okay?" Ranka requested with his signature okama smile, "Don't let some pervert harass her," he shot a look at Tamaki who immediately recoiled to the storage room and began to grow mushrooms. Then Tamaki began to mumble something about '_it's not fair_', '_I'm her father_', '_should take care of her_'. But everyone ignored his incoherent mumblings and paid him no attention at all.

"I will, Ranka-san," Mori replied in his monotone voice.

"Sorry if you guys waited so long, I've nearly forgotten that we're going to th--" Haruhi stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Mori by her Dad's side. In three seconds, her face was blushing furiously and she immediately turned to the kitchen, "I'll go prepare some tea before we leave, since it's still early," she called to the living room, evidently trying to avoid Mori's intense gaze on her. The others, except for Ranka, Kyouya, Mori and Hani, stared in confusion at the girl in the kitchen. Mori knew what was wrong with her, and he couldn't help but chuckled inwardly. Hani knew too since Mori told him. And since Hani and Ranka were playing matchmaker for the two, Ranka knew from Hani. Kyouya… well, he just knew something was going on between those two. He _is_ the **shadow king** after all.

'_What's wrong with Haruhi?_' Kaoru thought silently.

'_Was it me, or did she just __**blushed**__ when she looked at Mori-senpai?_' Hikaru thought, confused and angry at the same time.

'_What is wrong with my daughter?! Her face was flushed! Is she falling sick?! As her father, I must take care of her!_' Tamaki thought frantically.

Haruhi kept her gaze down to the floor when she entered the living room, carrying a tray of tea in her hands. "Haruhi, come sit next to Daddy!" Ranka called happily and patted the sit next to him, the tall figure scooted a little to make some space for her. Haruhi obediently sat down next to Ranka but she was **really** aware of the looming presence next to her other side. Static electricity travelled between the two of them, since they're sitting so close together.

Tamaki and Hikaru fumed with jealousy as they watched the two people across from them. Kaoru kept a calm expression since he decided to back off from interfering with Haruhi and Mori. But he knew Hikaru was in his state of jealousy and possessiveness. He sighed inwardly. '_Even Milord is jealous, but I don't think he knows what _that_ means. He _is_ dense when it comes to him._'

"Haruhi dear, I asked Mori-kun to take care of you when I'm away during the summer break, since you'll be staying at Kyouya-kun's family's beach resort," Ranka told her cheerily and Haruhi just nodded in response because she couldn't utter a proper word out; the static flowing between her and Mori was distracting her _**very**_ much.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mori was watching the girl sitting next to him. He could smell the strawberry-scented shampoo she used. It was sort of _intoxicating_. But he kept his stoic mask on; he didn't want the others to know his current state, or the blush that was threatening to form on his cheekbones.

"Okay everyone, it's time to leave," Kyouya announced after they finished drinking the tea, "Since we're the hosts for the beach party, it is only wise for us to come early. I also need to assign your rooms once we arrived there." He pushed his glasses up as he stood from the table and walked out the door after politely saying good bye to Ranka, the others soon followed suit.

Haruhi retreated back to her bedroom to retrieve her duffle bag then walked back out to the front door. She saw Mori leaning against the doorway; his eyes were gazing at her and he was waiting for her, obviously. She smiled sheepishly and approached him slowly, her eyes were averted somewhere else.

"Mori-kun," Ranka appeared suddenly beside him, "Make sure that _moron_ doesn't do anything rash to my daughter, ne?" he smiled cheerfully as Mori nodded in response, "Good. Then, I'll leave Haruhi to you," Ranka shoved his daughter to the tall boy standing by the doorway, ignoring the protests coming from Haruhi's mouth. "Bye Haruhi! Have fun at the beach!" he waved from the doorway as he watched them descend the apartment's stairs.

---

There were three black limousines parked in front of the apartment complex. Haruhi twitched her right eye as she muttered a low, '_damn rich bastards, isn't one car enough for them?_' Mori stood next to her, wondering what was in her mind at that moment. The others were waiting by the limousines. Tamaki and Kyouya stood at the first limousine, while the twins at the third, leaving Hani to stand by the middle limousine.

"Haruhi should ride in one car with Daddy and Mommy!" Tamaki said dramatically, "Right, Mommy?" Kyouya paid him no attention as he was scribbling something into his notebook.

"Haruhi should ride with us!" the twins chorused together, "Since we're her close buddies!" they linked their arms with each other as Cheshire grins plastered on their faces. Their golden eyes were filled with mischief.

"Haru-chan!" Hani skipped towards her and took hold of her hand and stared at her with his huge, adorable caramel eyes, "Do you wanna ride with me and Takashi?"

"Sure, Hani-senpai," she replied and patted his head, "Let's get into the car." Hani began to pull her towards the limousine and Mori walked beside her.

"Wait!" Tamaki yelled. Haruhi and Hani turned around to look at Tamaki, "Daughter should ride with her parents! Mommy, tell her so!" he turned to Kyouya to seek some support. Kyouya's glasses gave out a glare and hid his amused eyes in the process. "_Technically_, we're not Haruhi's parents and Haruhi can ride with anyone she likes, Tamaki," he said simply and ignored the protests coming from Tamaki's mouth.

"Haruhi~" Hikaru whined, "You should ride with us instead!" his arms were crossed and his lips were pouted slightly.

"Sorry, Hikaru," Haruhi said as she looked at him with her bright brown eyes, "But Hani-senpai asked me first, so I'll be riding with them," she explained.

"WHAT?!" Tamaki and Hikaru shouted, "But we offered you first!"

"No, you didn't," she interjected, "You just stated that I _should_ ride with you, but you didn't _ask_ me if _I_ wanted to ride with you. Since Hani-senpai _asked_ me first, I chose them over you two," she explained in her blunt manner, "Besides, if I _did_ ride with either of you, I don't think that I'll be getting any peace and quiet," she stated and climbed into the car where Mori was already seated, Hani followed suit. The other two stood baffled by their limousines as they watched Haruhi climbed in the middle car.

---

As they drove to the resort, light conversation took place between Haruhi, Hani and Mori. Hani ate the prepared cakes happily in his seat while occasionally glancing at his two companions. Pink flowers and bunny heads floated around his head as he munched his desserts.

"Ne, ne, Haru-chan," Hani called adorably. Haruhi turned her head, from the scenery outside, towards the small blonde boy beside her, "What is it, Hani-senpai?" she tilted her head as she waited for Hani to say something.

"We're gonna have lots of fun at the beach, right?" Hani continued to stare adorably at her as he tilted his head; the pink flowers were still floating around his head.

"Of course we are," she smiled naturally in reply.

"Yay! Fun! Fun! Fun!" Hani chanted cheerfully as he continued munching his cakes.

Mori just looked between the two, smiling every now and then. After Hani finished eating all the cakes, he took a nap for the rest of the journey. Haruhi moved to the other seat so Hani could stretch his legs when he's napping. Mori tucked Hani in with his bunny blanket, while Haruhi grabbed Usa-chan from the floor and put it under Hani's arm. Then they sat together at the same seat and a comfortable silence engulfed them.

---

Haruhi noticed Mori was leaning against the window, '_Is he tired?_' she wondered to herself and decided to ask him. "Mori-sen-" Haruhi started and Mori interrupted her, "Takashi."

"Eh?" she asked confusedly, her brown eyes widened slightly.

"Call me… Takashi," he explained simply as he gazed outside the window to watch the passing scenery.

"Ta… ka… shi… Takashi," she said slowly, testing it with her own tongue. She liked the familiarity to it and a blush crept along her cheeks.

"What is it, Haruhi?" he asked when she called him by his first name, a soft smile lingered on his lips but Haruhi couldn't see it.

"Oh," she immediately remembered what she was about to ask him, "Are you… tired, Mo- Taka… shi?" she asked sheepishly. She still had a hard time calling him by his first name, '_Maybe I should practice calling him Takashi more,_' she thought silently and decided to do just that.

**(A/N: from this point onwards, I'll be calling Mori as Takashi ^^)**

"I suppose I am slightly tired," Takashi whispered softly but still loud enough for Haruhi to hear.

"Do you… want to lie down?" she asked timidly, "I don't think it would be… comfortable if you leaned against the window throughout the journey," she explained as her fingers fiddled with each other, she felt slightly nervous to suggest such a thing.

"I think," he started, "I'll lie down," he turned his gaze towards her and smiled gently. Takashi lay down on Haruhi's lap, just like that first sleepy incident. Haruhi's fingers immediately went through Takashi's spiky black hair as he closed his eyes to take his short nap. The gentle movement from Haruhi's fingers through his hair lulled him to sleep; it was like his own personal lullaby from the girl he loves.

"Sleep well, Takashi," she murmured softly and as soon as she said that, Takashi drifted off to sleep.

---

The limousines slowed down as they reached the Ootori's Beach Resort.

"Takashi," Haruhi whispered and shook him gently, "We're here already."

Takashi stirred in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes to see Haruhi gazing down at him. He reached up a finger to her cheek and stroked it gently. A red tinge developed across her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly. "You freshen up a bit," she said softly, "I'll go wake Hani up." Takashi straightened in his seat and stretched his limbs while Haruhi went to kneel down in front of Hani.

"Hani-senpai," she called gently, "It's time to wake up; we've arrived already."

Hani stirred slightly and gave an adorable yawn, just like a little child. He rubbed his eyes lightly with his fist, trying to be fully awake and smiled up at Haruhi when he did. She ruffled his hair slightly before returning back to her seat, beside Takashi. "You're awake now, Takashi?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side to get a better look at him.

"Yeah," he replied and smiled fondly at her.

Hani's eyes were wide and bright, like they sparkled or something. He looked from his cousin to the brunette girl across him then back again. He was happy, no, _beyond_ happy to be exact. "Haru-chan!" Haruhi turned her head towards him, "If you call Takashi by his first name, then I want you to call me Mitsukuni," he grinned widely and looked at her with those huge plate-sized caramel eyes.

Haruhi's face turned slightly red when Hani mentioned this. She took a few seconds before replying back to him, and she saw how eager he seemed, so she really couldn't turn down his offer, more like demand. "Alright," she said, her eyes twinkled with a hidden amusement, "I'll call you Mitsukuni."

**(a/n: and from this point onwards, I shall address Hani as Mitsukuni)**

Mitsukuni flung his little arms around her neck to hug her, and then swiftly gave a peck on her right cheek. His grin was _impossibly_ wide and his eyes were _impossibly_ huge. But then again, when it comes to him and all the things that made him extremely happy, he could actually pull those _impossible_ gestures off. Millions of pink flowers flooded the limousine as they floated around Mitsukuni's head like _crazy_ and were scattered on the background to emphasize his _extreme_ happiness for his two close friends.

Haruhi and Takashi watched the small blonde boy in front of them with much amusement in their eyes.

---

**Author's note – I think this is a filler for the next chapter. So anyway, review! Because reviews make me happy. XD**


	15. The Third Bedroom

**Author's notes – this chapter is dedicated to -Aikio-Hatate-!**

**Enjoy reading everyone!**

**Disclaimer – I don't own Ouran or its characters.**

---

**Chapter 14 – The Third Bedroom**

---

The limousines finally stopped in front of the Ootori's beach resort. It looked more like a mansion than a hotel to everyone's, except Kyouya's, eyes. Suddenly, the door to Haruhi's limousine was yanked opened by a two familiar, and annoying, faces. Tamaki and Hikaru rushed to Haruhi's limousine as soon as the limousines halted. Haruhi was shocked at first and then her expression turned to one of annoyance. Takashi was _really_ annoyed but he managed to hide his expression with his stoic mask. While Mitsukuni was evidently angry at first but it turned to his child-like expression after a few seconds.

"Tama-chan, Hika-chan, is something wrong?" Mitsukuni asked sweetly as he held Usa-chan in his hands.

"O-Oh, n-nothing Hani-senpai," Tamaki stuttered in reply.

"W-We were just worried about Haruhi, that's all," Hikaru added as he fidgeted slightly by the limousine's door.

"_I'm perfectly fine_," she replied with a rather annoyed tone and glared at them.

"What are you guys doing? Better move along since we still have _plenty_ to do before we go down to the beach," Kyouya said as he appeared out of nowhere, his tone was hidden with a sign of authority, "If you decide to dawdle instead and waste my time, then you know what' s coming to your way."

Tamaki and Hikaru scrambled to the front porch of the resort while Haruhi, Takashi and Mitsukuni took their time as they walked side by side, with Haruhi in the middle, to the front porch. Haruhi was definitely oblivious to the jealousy erupting from Hikaru and Tamaki, though Kaoru played it calm, as they watched how close Takashi was standing to her.

"Kyouya-senpai, I thought we were to stay at your family's beach resort," Haruhi asked, "This resort looks more like one of the mansions you guys live in," she said as she scanned the entire architecture of the building in front of them.

"You're right, Haruhi," Kyouya said as he scribbled something into his notebook and then looked up at her, "This is in fact my own _private_ beach resort. Since we'll be heading to the beach that my _family_ owns, we'll be staying at _my_ beach resort and yes, it _is_ a mansion." Kyouya said matter-of-factly and smirked. The others didn't seem surprised though since each of them has their own private beach resort.

'_I should have known…_' Haruhi grumbled to herself and fought the urge to roll her eyes at him.

---

Once inside, they stood at the middle of the entrance hall. Haruhi scanned her surroundings again, she felt awed by the modern architecture inside Kyouya's private beach mansion. The interiors were all white; no doubt to make the mansion looked more spacious. Modern furniture was set up across the hall inside one of the living rooms. Expensive art pieces laden the walls and roman pillars were placed in front of the grand spiraled staircase. Different types of flower bouquets with assorted colours, placed inside ceramic vases, were placed along the walls in order to add a splash of colour to the white interior. Kyouya's maids were stationed at each corner of the room inside the mansion; there were probably more than a dozen, ready to take orders from their young master and his guests.

"Since there are only three master bedrooms, I have divided us into three smaller groups," Kyouya announced as he stood casually in front of the grand staircase with his hands in the pockets of his pants. **(a/n: where did his notebook go…? Kyouya is such a mysterious person sometimes.)**

"Two of the master bedrooms are situated on the ground floor, while the other one is at the top most floor; the third floor," Kyouya informed, "I'll be sleeping in one of the bedrooms on the ground floor, and Tamaki, you'll be sharing it with me," he said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his straight nose.

"B-But Mommy!" Tamaki began to protest, his arms flailing in the air, "Our daughter should be in one room with us! As her parents-"

"Tamaki," Kyouya warned, "I have _already_ decided to assign _which_ group should sleep in _which_ bedroom," he continued, "This _is_ my place after all." That statement ended Tamaki's protest and he went immediately to his dark corner of woe to sulk. Kyouya, as usual, ignored Tamaki.

"Hikaru and Kaoru," Kyouya continued as if he wasn't interrupted by Tamaki's nonsense ramblings earlier on, "You both will take the second bedroom on the ground floor."

"Kyouya-senpai, Haruhi should stay in one room with us!" Hikaru protested but was silenced when Kyouya gave him one of his threatening glares. He could only sulk in frustration beside his twin brother. Kaoru patted him on the shoulder, giving an apologetic smile to Kyouya.

"So, that leaves the third bedroom upstairs," Kyouya said, his stance was still casual, "Since it's the biggest master bedroom, Haruhi will stay with Mori-senpai and Hani-senpai," he pushed his glasses up again to hide a smirk forming on his lips. '_Things are going according to plan,_' he smirked again inwardly.

"Yay! Haru-chan's gonna stay with us!" Mitsukuni instantly lightened up and his signature pink flowers soon floated around his head. Takashi showed no expression but inwardly, he was relief to be able to stay in one room with her. Haruhi felt the same way too.

Tamaki and Hikaru continued to sulk.

"I suggest you freshen up a bit before we head down to the beach, the ladies should be arriving at the beach an hour from now," Kyouya informed and instantly took his leave to go to his bedroom, Tamaki followed obediently behind him though there was a cloud of sadness and depression hovering above his head. Hikaru walked off to the direction of their assigned bedroom with Kaoru trailing close behind him; his complaints were endless.

"Come on, Haru-chan~" Mitsukuni held her hand and led her to their assigned bedroom, Haruhi reluctantly followed with Takashi close beside her. One of the maids led them to their master bedroom at the third floor and Haruhi thanked her once they arrived in front of a mahogany door. The maid bowed and went to do her own work downstairs.

---

…_**In Tamaki's and Kyouya's bedroom…**_

"Kyouya!" Tamaki whined as soon as they were in their bedroom, "Why did you assign for Haruhi to be separated with her Daddy?!" he plopped down to one of the king-sized bed as he crossed his arms to his chest, he was still sulking.

Kyouya took off his glasses and began to pinch the bridge of his nose, a headache was coming. He did _not_ like this; he did _**not**_ want to hear Tamaki to keep _complaining_ just because he did not assigned him to be in one room with their 'daughter'. '_Keep your cool, Kyouya,_' he advised mentally, '_You could always strangle that blonde idiot later if he chose not to shut the hell up._' He smiled, amused with his second suggestion, '_That doesn't sound bad at all,_' he smirked.

"_Tamaki_," he warned again, his tone laced with pure venom, "If you _keep_ complaining about _not_ having Haruhi to _stay_ in _one_ room with you, I'll _kick_ you out myself but before that, _I swear to God_ I'll strangle you if you don't _shut the hell up_."

Tamaki retreated to his dark corner of woe again whilst muttering, "Mommy is so mean to Daddy, Daddy only wanted to stay in one room with our daughter so he can take care of her," and bla bla bla.

One of Kyouya's forehead veins threatened to explode. "If you have _forgotten_ Tamaki," he said in slight annoyance, "Ranka-san puts **Mori-senpai** _in charge_ of his daughter's well-being." With that he retreated to the bathroom to take a shower, leaving Tamaki to fend for himself.

---

…_**In Hikaru's and Kaoru's bedroom…**_

"_Why_ did Haruhi had to stay in _one_ room with _him_?!" Hikaru fumed angrily as he paced back and forth along the carpeted floor.

"It was Kyouya-senpai's decision, Hikaru," Kaoru reasoned in a calm tone, "Since this _is_ his place."

"Don't give me that crap of this being _his place_!" Hikaru continued furiously, "She could stay in one room with us! We've got plenty of space here!" he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Hikaru," Kaoru called.

"But no! He decided to assign _her_ to be in _one_ room with _him_!"

"Hikaru, Hani-senpai is there also you know," Kaoru reasoned again, still keeping his calm.

"That doesn't matter Kaoru! What _matters_ is she's in _one_ _room_ with _him_! She's _**our**_ toy! **Our property**!" Hikaru continued his illogical argument which was mostly based on _idiocy_ and _jealousy_.

"And why are you so calm about this?!" Hikaru shouted and glared at his twin.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru shouted back, apparently, he had enough with Hikaru's attitude, "I've had enough of this! You're not making sense anymore! Just say you're _jealous_ over Mori-senpai because _he_ got _her_ in the end! Why are you so _possessive_ over her?! Stop _treating_ her as an object! Just _admit_ that you love her! _I_ love her _too_ Hikaru, but _I _want to see her _happy_ with _whoever_ she chooses. And if she happens to choose Mori-senpai, then I'm _fine_ with it," Kaoru gradually calmed himself from getting mad at his twin brother. The last thing he wanted was for them to fight over each other just because of a girl.

Hikaru stood dumbfounded and sank to his knees. He held his head in his hands and he fought the sudden urge to let his tears fall. Kaoru walked slowly towards his brother and embraced him around his shoulders; Hikaru immediately laid his head on Kaoru's shoulder. "Hikaru, I know deep down that you love her, but if you view her as an object of your possession, would you think that she'd be happy?" Kaoru whispered softly.

Hikaru didn't reply and just laid his head on Kaoru's shoulder. He knew his brother was right.

---

…_**In Haruhi's, Takashi's and Mitsukuni's bedroom…**_

Haruhi stood behind the railings of the balcony, enjoying the warm summer breeze as it blew softly against her skin. Takashi and Mitsukuni were inside; Takashi was unpacking his stuff and Mitsukuni was doing his usual thing by eating cakes.

There were three king-sized beds inside their room. Haruhi took the bed closest to the balcony's French doors, Takashi took the middle and Mitsukuni took the bed at the other end, the one closer to the bathroom. There was a fireplace across Takashi's bed and above the mantle; an LCD TV was set up. The entire room was painted beige with white cornices placed as a décor. A small lounge area was also set up at one corner of the room, near Haruhi's bed. Mitsukuni sat there as he ate his cakes happily.

Takashi was done with unpacking his things and decided to join Haruhi at the balcony after making sure that Mitsukuni was okay. He approached her silently and Haruhi didn't seem to notice him at first. So he took a step further and stood right next to her, their skins making contact with each other as they brushed softly. Haruhi smiled fondly at his presence but kept her gaze out to the ocean, Takashi did the same thing as well.

"Are you done with unpacking your things, Takashi?" Haruhi asked as the breeze blew her hair softly.

"Ah," he replied, he was enjoying the scenery with her. He then decided to move to stand behind her and put his hands on the railings, so Haruhi was trapped in between. Her face blushed furiously when she felt Takashi's warm heat emanated from his body and her heart began to race a million miles per minute. She didn't struggle to break free though because she liked this side of him. She smiled sheepishly at her own thoughts.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked after a few moments of comfortable silence, she was referring to the scenery in front of them.

"Yeah," he replied and smiled gently. He was replying to two things: _one_ was the scenery and _two_ was the brunette girl trapped between him and the railings.

Mitsukuni looked on at the two lovebirds at the balcony, he was glad that Takashi found someone to care about other than him, he was also glad that Takashi found someone who he really loves. "I bet Tama-chan and Hika-chan are sulking right now. Kao-chan seemed like he didn't mind at all. Maybe he wants Haru-chan to be happy?" he muttered to Usa-chan who was sitting at the chair next to him, a small plate of cake was placed in front of the stuffed bunny. **(a/n: does Usa-chan even eats?)**

Moments after Mitsukuni muttered his drabbles, Haruhi stepped inside the room, followed close by Takashi.

"The girls should be arriving pretty soon," Haruhi said as she checked the clock on the wall, "Maybe we should change to our beach attires now?" she asked while looking at Mitsukuni and Takashi. They both nodded in reply. "I'll go change in the bathroom," she smiled in reply and went to retrieve a light blue, short-sleeve hoodie from her duffle bag and a pair of khaki beach shorts.

By the time she was done changing and had already gotten out from the bathroom, Takashi and Mitsukuni were already in their beach shorts, they were shirtless of course. Takashi wore a black and white beach shorts while Mitsukuni opted for a bright yellow plaid version. Then a knock on the door interrupted them. One of the maids informed them that the young master requested for their presence by the entrance hall and with that, she excused herself after bowing down to the young master's guests.

Once downstairs, the others were already standing there, waiting for the three of them. Tamaki opted for an orange beach shorts while Kyouya had on his gray knee-length shorts and a white cotton button-up shirt. The twins were wearing the same beach shorts with different colours; Hikaru wore a red one and Kaoru, a blue one.

"The ladies have already arrived by now," Kyouya informed as he stood casually beside Tamaki, one hand in his shorts' pocket, "It's time to make our entrance at the beach."

"Yes! We don't want to make the fair maidens await us any longer! Let us all head to the beach!" Tamaki said dramatically and sparkles were added to maximize his prince-like charade. Haruhi rolled her eyes and a blank look was plastered on her face as Tamaki continued his over-dramatic charade. He kept on babbling about "fair maidens awaits us" and yada yada while the others were already heading off to the front porch. Tamaki stopped his speech and looked around him, only to be met by empty air. He stared to the door and was shocked to the core when the other hosts were already heading off to the beach, without him.

"Tamaki," Kyouya called behind him, "If you're not gonna move, we're gonna leave you there."

"Yeah, Milord," the twins chorused, "We don't want the ladies to wait any longer."

Tamaki was flabbergasted. "Oi! Wait for me! As the King for this Host Club, I demand you to wait for me!" he shouted and ran off towards their direction.

---

Cheers and squeals of excitement erupted from the crowd of girls in assorted bikini colours and designs. There was a small rectangular platform situated in the middle of the start of the beach, with a white canopy above it. Renge was there, sitting on one of the comfortable reclining chair, holding a coconut with a small umbrella and a bendy straw at the opening of the coconut. She was wearing a two piece yellow bikini with white camellia patterns.

Renge stood up from her chair as soon as she spotted the arrival of the host club. She took her microphone and stood in the middle of the platform. "Attention everyone!" she announced brightly. Every head on that beach turned to her, "The host club is about to arrive! So please, take your places!" More cheers erupted from the crowd as Renge made this announcement.

As the host club, led by Tamaki, approached the beach, Renge welcomed their arrival.

"Let's all give a warm welcome to the Ouran Host Club!" she announced cheerfully as the host club made another one of their dramatic entrance (of which Tamaki insisted they do it) and excited cheers and loud applauses erupted from the fan girls. Tamaki stood in the middle with Kyouya on his right, the twins stood; embracing each other, at Tamaki's left. Haruhi stood next to Kyouya as Mitsukuni (with pink flowers floating around him) stood in front of her and Takashi behind her. The background immediately turned rose pink and sparkly and twinkly as they made their poses on the small rectangular platform.

"Welcome to Ouran Host Club's Summer Beach Party!" the hosts chorused together with their hosting smiles plastered on each of their faces.

---

**Author's note – Takashi is such a romantic! The next chapter would be about the beach tournament! I hope you'll look forward to it! Please review once you've done the reading for this chapter! XD**


	16. Tug, Smack and Retrieve

**Author's note – Sorry for the lack of updates this past few days. This chapter took longer than it should be. Anyway, thank you everyone for your generous reviews! You really made my day! So, here's the next chapter, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own anything nor am I making a profit out of this.**

**Heads-up – I don't know **_**anything**_** about beach volleyball, I just did a little research on them before I did this chapter. XD**

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**Chapter 15 – Tug, Smack and Retrieve.**

---

"Welcome to Ouran Host Club's Summer Beach Party!" the hosts chorused together with their hosting smiles plastered on each of their faces.

"And I, Hoshakuji Renge, will be your host for today!" Renge announced to the crowd as she posed in the middle of the platform. Loud cheers erupted from the crowd of ladies; they were really excited about today.

"To commemorate the start of summer break, we'll be having a few exciting activities today!" Renge shouted enthusiastically over the cheering crowd. "There will be a summer beach tournament consisting of three exciting activities! Are you excited everyone?" Murmurs of excitement evolved around the crowd when they heard about the summer beach tournament.

"Now Host Club members!" Renge pointed a finger towards them, "I shall divide you into two groups and a few selected ladies from the crowd would have the privilege to be in the same group as you!" The twins and Tamaki were really excited about the tournament, Mitsukuni was excited too since the pink flowers around him were floating about vigorously. Takashi remained expressionless; Kyouya had the same expression as well. As for Haruhi, she let out a heavy sigh and her face was void of emotion. '_I wonder what's in store for us… and I seriously hope I won't be in the same team with Tamaki-senpai or the twins…_' she mentally thought.

"I have already had an assigned list for who goes to which group so as to be fair, and I will **not** hear any objections about it! Alright, let's get down to business!" Renge scurried over to the side to retrieve the list of names for the two groups.

"Haruhi shall be in one team with Daddy!" Tamaki said excitedly as he went to one of his daydreams.

"Ne Kaoru," Hikaru whispered to his twin brother, "I bet Haruhi would be in the same team as us, don't you think so?" he asked as he slung one arm over Kaoru's shoulder.

"Yeah, I think you're probably right, Hikaru," Kaoru replied and slung his arm over Hikaru's shoulder.

"Alright!" Renge exclaimed as she approached the host club members, "Tamaki-kun, Hikaru-kun and Kaoru-kun, you shall be in one group," she said as she read the list of names, "a few selected ladies shall join your group."

Tamaki gasped and started to complain, "But Haruhi should be in my group! Not these two doppelgangers!" he pointed accusingly at the twins.

"Hey!" the twins exclaimed together, "Don't go blaming us for it!"

Tamaki twisted Renge around so she was facing to him and put his hands on her shoulders, "Renge-chan, Haruhi shou-"

"What did I say, Tamaki-kun?" Renge asked slowly, a dark purplish aura emanated around her and Tamaki flinched, "I said I will not hear any objections, _did I not?_" she demanded. He immediately ran and took cover behind Kyouya.

"Kyouya!" Tamaki exclaimed and cowered in fear, "Control your woman!" he pointed a finger to Renge. But Kyouya ignored him and scribbled something inside his black notebook.

Then Renge turned into her happy self again, "Haruhi-kun," she called and Haruhi turned towards her, "You'll be in one group with Mori-kun and Hani-kun. So, you guys are group two, a few selected ladies shall join your group also!" Haruhi felt relieved and she knew that her team had more of the advantage in the tournament since she had two of the most skilled athletes in her group.

"Yay! Haru-chan's in our group! We're gonna win for sure!" Mitsukuni exclaimed excitedly and held Usa-chan in one hand as he grinned up at Haruhi. Haruhi smiled back in reply, "I'm glad I'm in your team Mitsukuni," she chuckled and lightly ruffled the small blonde's hair. Mitsukuni grinned even wider. And there was a ghost of a smile on Takashi's lips.

While Renge called out the selected ladies for the two groups, Tamaki and Hikaru were fuming with jealousy because 'their' Haruhi was in one team with Takashi, they didn't seem to hear Haruhi called Hani as Mitsukuni though. Their minds were too… _**preoccupied**_ at the moment, except for one person, the other red-head, Kaoru. '_Did Haruhi just call Hani-senpai's first name?_' he thought silently. His face expression was calm but his eyes were surprised by this sudden knowledge, '_When did that happened? Tono and Hikaru didn't seem to hear it though, I might as well keep it to myself for now_,' he decided mentally.

"Kyo-chan," Mitsukuni called and looked up at Kyouya, "How come you're not in any of the groups?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side. Haruhi realized this also, "Yeah senpai, aren't you joining?" she asked quizzically.

Tamaki snapped out of his reverie, "Mommy should be in one group in Daddy!" he exclaimed dramatically.

Kyouya pushed his glasses up and they glared in the sunlight, "I won't be joining in the tournament," Kyouya said matter-of-factly and every host stared at him, "I'll be responsible for the merchandise sales and such. So, I'll be too busy to join the tournament," he smirked lightly and put one hand in his shorts' pocket. The other hosts wore their blank expressions and each of them sweat-dropped.

'_Just like the shadow king…._' Haruhi thought silently.

'_Is money all that he thinks about?_' the twins thought simultaneously.

'_Kyo-chan is Kyo-chan after all…_' Mitsukuni concluded mentally.

'…' Takashi had no words to describe Kyouya.

'_Mommy is so predictable…_' Tamaki said silently.

Just then Renge interrupted their thoughts about the shadow king, "Okay participants! Please go to your assigned groups! The ga—tournaments will begin shortly!" she announced and her eyes twinkled with excitement.

The hosts and the selected ladies dispersed to join their assigned group. Tamaki and the twins, followed by five other girls went to stand next to the platform while Takashi, Mitsukuni and Haruhi, followed by five other girls went to gather at the other side of the platform.

---

…_**At Tamaki's team…**_

Tamaki stood in the middle of his group with all the prince-like glory he possessed. The girls went wide-eyed in admiration and all of them even blushed. The twins stood next to their Tono at both sides.

"Tamaki-sama," Ayuri, one of the lucky girls selected, said, "It's a privilege to be in one team with you," she smiled sheepishly. Tamaki took hold of her right hand and kissed it softly, "No princess, it is _my_ privilege to be in one team with _you_," he replied and smiled at Ayuri with one of his prince-like smiles. Ayuri blushed furiously while the other girls squealed in excitement at Tamaki's romantic gesture.

Picking up from the Prince Type charade, the twins decided to join in as well. "Kaoru," Hikaru whispered longingly at his twin brother, "I'm glad I'm in one team with you," he put one arm around Kaoru's waist and slightly lifted Kaoru's chin up with his index finger while leaning in closer. "Hikaru…" Kaoru replied in the same longing manner as he acted along and a faint blush developed across his cheeks. Sparkled blooming roses had replaced the beach background as the twins did their brotherly love act in front of the ladies in their group. Two girls had nose-bleeds as they watched the brotherly love scene, they didn't dare close their eyes.

---

…_**At Takashi's team…**_

"Haruhi-kun," Yuki called, she's one of her usual designators, "Do your best in the tournament," Yuki smiled and she turned her head towards the two senpais, "The same goes to Mori-kun and Hani-kun too."

"You too, Yuki-san," Haruhi replied with one of her natural smiles, "And that goes to the rest of you ladies too," The other four girls blushed slightly, "I may not be an athletic person, but I'll do my best so our team will win the tournament." The ladies praised Haruhi for 'his' determination to win.

"Haru-chan! Ganbatte!" Mitsukuni exclaimed happily, "Takashi too!" The both of them nodded in reply and smiled at the small blonde boy.

"You have to do your best as well, Mitsukuni," Haruhi said to him and he nodded eagerly, "When we win, we'll celebrate with cakes, okay?" she laughed when Mitsukuni's face brightened when she mentioned cakes. The ladies weren't really surprised when Haruhi called Hani by his first name, since they knew the two senpais and Haruhi were close with each other.

"Yay! Cakes!" Mitsukuni shouted excitedly and pink flowers danced around his head at the thought of cakes.

"Kyaaa!~ Hani-kun is so cute!" the ladies squealed.

---

"Okay participants! Please gather in front of the platform!" Renge announced excitedly. "The first round of tournament will be… tug-o-war, commoner's style!" Excited cheers erupted from the crowd and Haruhi could not believe what she just heard. '_Tug-o-war…? Commoner's style…? Damn these idiotic rich bastards…_' she groaned loudly and her shoulders slumped, '_Mother in Heaven, why am I constantly surrounded by rich idiots with their idiotic ideas?_' she sighed heavily, '_Might as well get on with this, the sooner it ends the better…'_ Tamaki, the twins and Mitsukuni seemed really excited upon hearing it. Takashi was… well, Takashi. His stoic mask was in place.

Renge continued, "The two teams shall compete in a tug-o-war competition! The tug-o-war or rope pulling will test the strength of both teams to see which team is the strongest!"

"As you can see to my left, there is a rectangular puddle of water of ten inches deep. The two teams would stand on opposite sides, across from each other! Two points are already marked, so that's where you should stand!" she added while pointing to two X marks around the puddle.

"These two teams will grasped onto the provided thick rope that is placed next to the puddle there!" she pointed with her index finger again, indicating the rope. Everyone looked to where she pointed and they nodded in understanding. Haruhi's expression was as bored and as blank as ever. "What you do is, you have to pull the opposing team using that rope into the offending puddle! And you have to prevent your team from toppling over as you struggle to send the opposing team into that puddle of water!" The crowd nodded in agreement simultaneously, so far, they managed to grasp the idea of this commoner's style of tug-o-war.

"Okay teams! Let the tug-o-war, begin!" Renge announced eagerly, eyes shining bright to start the tournament.

---

Tamaki's team appointed him as the leader to lead them to victory. Tamaki gladly took this position, who better to be the leader than the Host King himself? He thought proudly. '_This team shall win the tournament so Haruhi would be proud and happy for her Daddy~_' he thought dreamily. One of Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatres was working its way into the blonde idiot's head.

_**Enter Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre**_

"The winner for the tug-o-war tournament goes to Team Tamaki!" Renge announced over the cheering crowd. "Team Tamaki! Team Tamaki! Team Tamaki!" the crowd chanted enthusiastically. Then a girl of short brunette hair came running towards Tamaki, it was none other than, Haruhi.

"Senpai! Congratulations!" Haruhi beamed, "Haruhi is so proud of you! Haruhi never knew you were so strong senpai," she said sheepishly and shifted her feet together, a faint red tint forming on her pale cheeks.

"Haruhi," Tamaki whispered as he tilted her body in a slight angle, arms embracing her small frame, "If it wasn't for your shouts of encouragement, I would have probably lost the battle," he said and leaned in closer as he narrowed the gaps between them.

"S-Senpai…" Haruhi whispered nervously in embarrassment and leaned in closer as well.

_**End of Tamaki's Inner Mind Theatre**_

Tamaki snapped from his reverie, "Okay everyone!" he declared, one fist shook in determination, "Let's win this tournament!" The twins and the girls nodded in agreement, eyes set in determination to win. They took their positions on one of the X mark.

---

"Do your best everyone!" Mitsukuni said cheerily and everyone nodded, "When we win, we'll celebrate with cakes! Cakes! Cakes!" he continued excitedly, pink flowers already floating around his head.

'_Mother in Heaven, please let this be over soon,' Haruhi prayed silently, 'Although, I think it __**will**__ be over quickly since __**this **__team has __**more**__ advantage than the other team…_'

---

Team Tamaki and Team Mori (they wouldn't call it Team Takashi now would they?) took their positions and were ready, the thick rope held firmly in each of the members', of the two teams, hands. They stood ten cm apart from each other so there was enough space to move around without stumbling at one another.

"Okay you devil twins!" Tamaki whispered. He was standing at the very front with the twins' right behind him, "Let us pull Mori-senpai into the puddle! This should be easy!" he declared, "But we have to be careful not to let Haruhi fall into the offending puddle!"

"Yes boss!" they whispered and saluted in unison.

"Okay teams! Ready?!" Renge shouted excitedly from the platform.

Tamaki's eyes were burning with the determination to win, as well as the twins. On the other side, with Takashi at the very front followed by Haruhi and Mitsukuni, their expressions were also set to win, though Takashi's face didn't show much emotion. Mitsukuni was excited but his eyes were burning evilly as if he was about to enjoy the next thing that happens. Haruhi was set to win this tournament, even though she knew she probably wouldn't do much. The girls were also determined; they would do whatever it took to win for their respective team.

Everyone's hold on the rope was firm and they shouted in unison, "Yes!"

"Get set! And… _pull!_"

The crowds cheered in encouragement for both teams. Both teams were pulling the thick rope in their hands simultaneously. With _**one**_ swift forceful tug from Team Mori, the opposing team was sent flying into the puddle. The first two members, Tamaki and Hikaru, fell face-flat into the water puddle. Fortunately, Kaoru managed to back off in time and saved the ladies in their team from getting drenched.

Cheers from fan girls suddenly erupted from the crowd.

"And the winner is Team Mori-kun!" Renge announced with one finger pointed to Takashi's team.

_Takashi – 1, Tamaki – 0 _

"Round two will begin in thirty minutes! You may take a short break!" Renge announced again.

"For the mean time, why don't you ladies visit the merchandise booth over there?" Kyouya announced casually as he took the microphone from Renge's hand. He pointed to a booth placed five feet from the platform and all the ladies turned to the area he pointed to. "There is a new Photobook Collection, version 11, just out from production yesterday. We sell individual Photobook Collection of each host, but if you purchase all seven Photobooks, there will be a special price," Kyouya explained as he smiled his hosting smile, "These Photobook Collections range from last night's rock concert event to the previous hosting activities."

"Would you princesses be interested in purchasing them?" Kyouya asked with a smile plastered on his face, one hand stuffed into his shorts' pocket.

"YES! We would like to purchase them!" they screamed eagerly and hurried to the merchandise booth with purses in hand so as not to let this golden opportunity went by. Kyouya lightly smirked and made his way to the booth and watched as a long line of ladies formed to purchase said Photobook Collection.

The others looked on at Kyouya. '_As expected of the ever calculative and profit-seeker, Shadow King_,' they thought simultaneously.

---

"Round two shall begin momentarily, both teams please get ready!" Renge announced after twenty-five minutes passed by. She held a glass of coconut juice with the fancy little umbrella in one hand.

Haruhi went back to her team after taking shelter under the huge umbrella from the burning sun. '_The day is getting hot but the breeze helps me to cool down a bit_,' she thought silently as she stared up at the azure sky, shielding her eyes with her hand from the shining sun. '_I wonder what round two holds for us_,' she added mentally and quickened her pace to join Takashi and Mitsukuni.

At the other opposing team, Tamaki was giving a prep talk to his team members. "Alright everyone," he started, "we have to win the next round! We'll show them our awesomeness and amazing skills! For if we lose this battle, then it means we will lose ourselves!" he added dramatically. All the members in his team nodded firmly. "We will do our best, Tamaki-sama!" Hatsumi declared and the rest of the girls affirmed her statement. "We will win for sure, Tono!" the twins chorused and nodded simultaneously. Tamaki nodded and his eyes were brimming with tears of joy at their declaration to win. "Let's do this!"

---

"Alright everyone! Please gather at the front of the platform!" Renge's sudden announcement got the two teams' attention and they proceeded to the said gathering point. The two teams stood facing each other, the rivalry atmosphere felt like it developed ages ago, as if this rivalry had already existed for centuries. Tamaki and Hikaru glared at Takashi who just stared at them blankly, feeling undisturbed with the sudden tension they threw at him through their eyes. Mitsukuni narrowed his eyes at the blonde and the red-head. Kaoru seemed to remain calm the entire time, while Haruhi just stood there oblivious to the sudden tense moment as her face wore a blank and bored mask.

"Round two is Beach Volleyball!" Renge declared enthusiastically, "Only six players from both teams will compete in this tournament, so please discuss among yourselves who should partake in the next tournament," she said and took another sip of her coconut juice.

Both teams huddled. It was decided in Tamaki's team that Kaoru and the girls would compete in the next tournament. While in Takashi's team, Haruhi and the girls in their team would compete in the next tournament. Both teams discussed their strategies. Fortunately for Haruhi, she had knowledge on beach volleyball since she took part in the sport during her middle-school years. The girls in her team were pro in beach volleyball as well. After they finished discussing strategies, both Haruhi and Kaoru stood in front of the platform.

"We're ready," they both said simultaneously and Renge nodded in reply.

"Okay! Let the beach volleyball tournament begin!" she shouted and made an executed gesture with her hand to start the tournament off.

Both teams were already in position. Six players of both teams were merely separated by a net as they waited for Renge to blow off the whistle to signal the start of the game. The crowd of ladies gathered around the volleyball area, watching excitedly with anticipation. So far, the score was 1 to 0. Tamaki and Hikaru stood behind his team, a few feet away. Takashi and Mitsukuni did the same at the other side of the net. And the whistle was blown!

Hiromi, one of the girls in Haruhi's team, began a rally and served the ball by hitting it with her hand. Over the net the volleyball went into the receiving team's court. Hanako, one of the girls in Kaoru's team, immediately hit the ball with her hand and directed it back to the serving team's court. This happened for two times until Haruhi made a _kill_, grounding the ball on the opponent's court.

"Point goes to Haruhi-kun's team!" Renge shouted as she shot one hand into the air. The other girls cheered excitedly.

"Yay! Haru-chan!" Mitsukuni beamed proudly while Takashi smiled. Haruhi flashed a grin at them and went back to focus on the game.

At the other side of the net, "That's my Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted. His face was beaming proudly as well.

Haruhi stared at him with a bored look, one hand on her hip, "Senpai, aren't you supposed to support your own team? We're rivals, remember?" she said out loud so Tamaki could hear over the cheering crowd.

As soon as Tamaki heard the word 'rivals' coming out from his 'daughter's' mouth, he immediately went to his dark corner of woe which magically appeared out of nowhere, while mumbling, "Rivals with her own father" or something of the sort. The twins snickered at Tamaki's sight and Kaoru focused his attention back to the game. Haruhi sighed in irritation and the cheers from the crowd died down a little.

"Ready?" Renge shouted again, "Begin!"

Since Haruhi's team won the first round, they got to serve the ball again. Similar tactics from the previous round were used again. This time, Saika hit the ball, hard, to the receiving team's court. Kaoru immediately countered the attack and sent the ball grounding on the serving team's court.

"Point goes to Kaoru-kun's team!" Renge shouted and the fangirls cheered.

"Way to go Kaoru!" Hikaru shouted and Kaoru grinned back in reply.

"Great job, Kaoru-kun!" Ayuri, one of Kaoru's teammates, exclaimed excitedly. The scores were now a draw.

"Ready?" Renge asked again, "Begin!"

The game continued for thirty-five minutes and Haruhi's team was in the lead, with Kaoru's team not far behind. If Kaoru's team scored the next one, then they will win for sure since they weren't really far behind from Haruhi's team's score. '_If we score this one, we'll win for sure, then the result for the tournament will be a draw_,' Kaoru thought mentally.

"The final round for this beach volleyball will determine the winner in this second round of tournament!" Renge announced excitedly and the crowds cheered in return.

The six players of both teams were in position. "Alright princesses," Kaoru said to the girls in his team, "Let's prevent them from winning this second tournament." They nodded determinedly.

*thwack!*

The ball was served by none other than, Kaoru. It went flying across the net into the opponent's court. Yuki immediately countered his attack and sent the ball flying across the net, and Misaki (of Kaoru's team) countered her attack. The ball went further to the back on Haruhi's court, but Mikazuki made just in time to send the ball flying across the opponent's team. Hatsumi took this chance and made a kill, grounding the ball on Haruhi's court. None of members from Haruhi's ream made it in time to counter the attack. The whistle blew off.

"Last point goes to Kaoru-kun's team!" Renge shouted, "The winner is Team Tamaki-kun!"

_Takashi – 1, Tamaki – 1_

Kaoru high-fived his teammates and rushed back to his twin brother. Tamaki, who recovered immediately when the game finished, patted Kaoru's back then turned his attention to the female members of his team, "Well done, princesses. You all did very well," he complimented with his Prince-like smile in place. The ladies blushed in reply.

"The final round will begin in 45 minutes! So, take this opportunity to rest your sore muscles!" Renge exclaimed and went back to her recliner chair to continue drinking her coconut juice. Kyouya took this opportunity to continue selling the host club's merchandise, a long line of ladies was already forming in front of the merchandise booth.

---

"I wonder what Renge-chan has in store for us in the final tournament," Haruhi wondered out loud as she rested next to Takashi and Mitsukuni (her being in the middle), under the huge umbrella. "I thought it might be a bother, but I'm actually having a lot of fun," she smiled naturally. Takashi looked at her as she stared out at the ocean; Mitsukuni was enjoying a few cakes, courtesy of Kyouya's maids preparing them beforehand. The other girls were at another umbrella close by, just a few feet away, but they wouldn't be able to hear the conversation going on between the three of them.

"Haruhi," Takashi called in his deep voice which somehow sent a sudden electrifying jolt up Haruhi's spine as she turned to gaze at him. She tilted her head to the side as Takashi handed her a can of soda, "For you," he simply said and smiled gently at her.

"Thank you, Takashi," she smiled in return.

"Haru-chan!" Mitsukuni called her this time and she turned her attention towards the small senior beside her, "Do you want some cake?" he asked sweetly and held a plate of strawberry cheesecake towards her.

"Sure, I think I need some sugar in my system right about now," she laughed and took the plate of dessert from Mitsukuni's hand. Takashi just smiled and watched over the two important people beside him, sipping the can of soda in his hand occasionally.

Twenty-seven minutes passed by and then a sudden rumble nearby perked everyone's attention. They saw Renge at the far end of the beach, instructing two truck drivers, who carried an insane amount of sand in their humongous truck, to carefully dump the sand at the two points she marked. Everyone was wondering what she was about to do with those sands. Haruhi was beginning to feel skeptical about this current… situation. '_Don't tell me she's about to do what I __**think**__ she's gonna do_,' Haruhi thought mentally, '_**probably**__ not, but who knows? Renge __**is**__ somewhat predictable after all._'

Forty-five minutes were nearly up, and Renge already returned to her platform, sipping more coconut juice. She then got up and made an announcement, "Everyone! May I have your attention please?" she shouted as sudden murmurs of curiosity and excitement evolved around the crowd.

"The final round, to decide the winner of this summer beach tournament, will be a tournament of…" everyone held their breath, waiting in anticipation, even Tamaki was holding his breath but that's not surprising now, is it? "Castle battles and Conquering castles!" she announced proudly, and her face was beaming. Excited murmurs and shouts erupted from the crowd.

"Here are the rules: each team builds a castle about 5-10 meters big. The castles are about 20 meters apart; I've already marked those spots. In each castle a flag, or any white towel, is flown! Which team can get the other's flag and fly it in their own castle first?!" she declared, full of enthusiasm.

"To add a little twist to the tournament, a team may capture the opponent leader's team when they try to snatch the white flag!" she continued excitedly, her index finger pointing from Tamaki to Takashi.

"Okay teams! Get ready to build your castles! As you may have noticed, I have already ordered a large amount of sand for you to build your castles with!" she said proudly at her smart move to pre-order the sand before today's event took place. Haruhi groaned inwardly, '_Just as I __**thought**__…._'

"Please proceed to the far end of the beach, so we may start the tournament!" Everyone walked to the said area where they saw Renge approximately half an hour ago. Both teams took their respective positions, 20 meters apart from each other, next to their humongous heap of sand, as they waited for Renge to start the tournament.

"It's time!" she announced after a twenty seconds pause, "Ready? – start building your sandcastle… _**now**_!" Both teams hurried along and started to build their sandcastle under the scorching summer sun, but thankfully, the breeze was still there.

It took two and a half hours to complete the sandcastles, and both teams completed at the same time. The sandcastles look grand and majestic, several towers were built on each sandcastle and a white flag was flown on the tallest tower. Haruhi and Mitsukuni, along with the girls took their position on their castle, guarding the white flag from being snatched away by the opponent's team leader. The twins and the girls in their team did the same as well, guarding the white flag as if their lives depended on it. The team leaders met in the center of the battlefield as Renge instructed.

Weapons were permitted during this tournament; such weapons consisted of damped sand ball bombs and water balloons. These weapons would be used to prevent the opposing team's leader from getting any farther up to the tallest tower when he successfully infiltrated their castle and they have to capture him before he managed to snatch the flag away.

"Are you ready boys?" Renge asked as she looked from Tamaki to Takashi then back again. They nodded in reply, eyes never leaving one another. Tamaki was glaring, obviously. Takashi's expression was calm but his eyes were hard. "Ready… Get set… _**Go!**_" she shouted. The crowds were cheering in excitement as they rooted for their favourite host.

Takashi had the advantage in this tournament since he had long legs, and long legs meant _**longer**_ stride. He swiftly arrived at the opponent's sandcastle in ten seconds and fluidly avoided the bombarded attacks from the opponent's team members. He moved in a blur, so nobody was able to see him coming.

Tamaki arrived a few seconds late after Takashi, at the opponent's sandcastle. '_I shall save my daughter from the clutches of the evil monster named Mori-senpai! Right after I retrieved their flag!_' he thought dramatically. Using his looks as an advantage, he coaxed the ladies to let him pass. Of course, they obliged, seeing that they couldn't refuse this Prince's offer. "Thank you, princess," he said to Yuki as he kissed her hand softly and continued his journey. Yuki collapsed to the floor.

Mitsukuni saw what he did to the other girls, '_Haru-chan won't be affected by him_,' he thought mentally, '_but I have to stop Tama-chan from going any further._' He stealthily moved behind Tamaki and, "Haiya!" he swiftly tackled him when Tamaki neared Haruhi's guarding area. Tamaki didn't see it coming, poor Tamaki. As she heard a cry of attack from Mitsukuni, Haruhi rushed towards the scene and saw Tamaki held down by Mitsukuni. "Good job, Mitsukuni," she praised and he grinned widely at her. Tamaki was knocked out cold.

A few seconds later, Takashi appeared near Haruhi and Mitsukuni with a white flag in hand. Their flag was still intact on the tallest tower. Haruhi and Mitsukuni smiled proudly at Takashi as he placed the opponent's flag beside their flag. "Good job, Takashi!" Mitsukuni yelled happily and Haruhi nodded in agreement.

"THE CHAMPION TEAM GOES TO TEAM MORI-KUN!" Renge shouted excitedly as she jumped up and down in joy at her spot. The crowd cheered excitedly as well.

_Takashi – 2, Tamaki – 1_

---

"Thank you everyone for attending the Host Club's Summer Beach Party! We from the host club hoped you had fun today with all the exciting activities!" Renge announced as they all went back to the platform area. The host club members were standing at her sides. "There will be a firework display tonight, courtesy of the host club! So everyone, don't forget to come! We will be here tonight as well!" she continued excitedly.

"Enjoy your summer break!" and the crowd of ladies, in assorted bikini designs, cheered for the final time.

The ladies were then escorted to their hotel. Kyouya had already pre-booked the hotel two days ago. A thorough planning was one of the traits of an Ootori. After that was done, the hosts returned to Kyouya's private beach resort.

---

**Author's note – Yay! Another chapter **_**done**_**!! I am so tired; I think I need to lie down after this. Next chapter, around this weekend! Hopefully… Anyway! Please review, because your reviews make my day!**

**Ganbatte** – good luck (literally means, do your best)


	17. Colourful Night

**Author's note – for those who gave me reviews on the previous chapter, you guys are awesome! You really made my day~ *skips around merrily***

**Disclaimer: Must I do this every time? Yes, I must. So here it goes, OHSHC belongs to me! Who am I kidding? Of course I DO NOT own anything of this, just the story plot though. Kindly seek Bisco Hatori-sama because she is the proud owner of OHSHC! XD**

**This chapter is filled with fluff and maybe slight OOC, so enjoy!**

---

**Chapter 16 – Colourful Night**

---

After the exhausting beach tournament, all the hosts returned to their assigned rooms. They either went to take a shower or to take a nap from the exhausting event or just took that chance to relax. In the kitchen, the chefs were already in the midst of preparing for tonight's dinner and also cakes for Mitsukuni's consumption.

---

…_**Third floor, Haruhi's, Takashi's and Mitsukuni's bedroom…**_

Mitsukuni went to take his shower first. Haruhi and Takashi were watching the TV while they waited for Mitsukuni to finish. Throughout the whole time, Haruhi and Takashi were in complete, but comfortable silence. Neither had the need to talk during this hour, especially when they were together like this, they just chose to enjoy each other's company.

Twenty minutes later, Mitsukuni came out from the bathroom. "Takashi!" he called happily, "Your turn to take a shower!" Takashi nodded and proceeded to the bathroom with a towel placed on his right shoulder. Mitsukuni went to the small lounge area with Usa-chan in his hand. There were assorted cakes placed on the glass coffee table and he devoured those desserts in less than five minutes. "Nap time…" he mumbled and climbed onto his bed. Haruhi covered him with his bunny blanket and tucked Usa-chan under his arm, then walked over to her bed.

She was lying on her bed with one arm placed under her head, her eyes gazing at the ceiling above her. She only meant to take a short rest while waiting for Takashi to finish his shower. But she drifted off to sleep instead due to much exhaustion from the previous tournament and began to dream a pleasant dream…

…_It was spring, the season when cherry blossom trees began to fully bloom and Haruhi was standing in a garden full of beautiful flowers which ranges from chrysanthemums, Gerber daisies, magnolias, to poppies, violets, pansies and roses. The sun was shining brightly during that morning and melodious chirpings from birds can be heard nearby. The breeze was blowing gently against her skin, beside her stood a tall man with spiky black hair and dark gray eyes._

_They were watching over two little children with black hair and brown eyes; the children were currently running around the flower garden, playing and chasing one another._

_The tall man's arm was placed around Haruhi's waist, she was smiling gently and so was the man. Love shone in their eyes as they watched the two children in front of them, they felt contented being with one another and to see the children so happy. It was like a scene straight from a movie; they were like __**the**__ perfect family, with __**the**__ perfect life._

"_I'm happy I married you, Takashi," Haruhi whispered softly and gazed up at her husband with a natural smile on her face._

"_Me too," Takashi replied with one of his rare smiles on his face and tightened his hold around her waist. He kissed the top of her head softly and they continued to watch their children play..._

---

Takashi came out from the bathroom with just a white towel wrapped around his waist, his upper torso was glistening with water droplets, and his spiky hair was dripping with water as well. He was about to tell Haruhi to take her shower, since it was her turn, but instead found her to be sleeping peacefully. He took the opportunity to study her serene features as he sat on the edges of her bed, just close enough to really look at her. He liked what he saw; she was smiling even in her sleep. '_I wonder what she's dreaming about_,' Takashi pondered silently.

Twenty minutes passed by (yes, he was watching her the whole time and Mitsukuni was still sleeping) and suddenly she mumbled something in her sleep, "I'm happy I married you, Takashi." It was loud enough for Takashi to hear since he was inching closer to her sleeping figure. He froze when he heard what she just said, and a blush crept on his cheeks as his gray eyes widened slightly. '_She's dreaming about… me and her… married?_' he asked himself, dazed by this sudden discovery. She stirred in her sleep and that movement snapped Takashi's mind to the present.

He decided to wake her up, "Haruhi, wake up. Shower," he said gently.

Haruhi mumbled something incoherent in her sleep when he tried to wake her up. Then she willed her brain to wake up, she groaned and rubbed her eyes with her fists. Her visions were slightly blurry and hazy, so she really couldn't tell who was sitting in front of her. Then her visions refocused slowly, and saw Takashi right in front of her, _half-naked_ with a _towel_ wrapped around his waist, and he was partly dripping wet and partly dry.

In just three short seconds, her face heated up. She jumped from her bed after snatching her towel and darted to the bathroom. Her actions made Takashi chuckled and he proceeded to wear some clothes on.

In the bathroom, the image of a partly dripping, half-naked Takashi was embedded permanently in her brain. Her face was still blushing furiously and her heart felt like she just did a sprint around the race track. Well, it wasn't like she hadn't _seen_ Takashi shirtless before, but why did she react the way she did now? Surely, she was already _accustomed_ to seeing _half-naked men_ around her what with being around the host club. So, why is it different now?

'_Is it because I don't see him the way I see the other guys?_' she pondered to herself, while trying to be rational about this current dilemma of hers.

'_Argh! I can't think straight when I'm like this_,' she complained in her head and messed her hair furiously with her hands, trying to dislodge her own insanity.

She sat on the cold marble floor with her back to the door for what felt like a full ten minutes. She shook her head vigorously as she struggled to reason with her previous behavior and then decided to take her shower. She spent a whole hour under the cold shower, just standing there and doing absolutely nothing since she was lost in her own thoughts.

"Does this mean that I… _do_ love him?" she muttered, "How does Takashi feels towards… me? What am I thinking…? He couldn't possibly feel the same way as I do, could he?"

She decided to just act _cool_ about it, as if _nothing_ had happened, that's right, _**nothing did happened**_ back then. Absolutely _**NOTHING**_. She turned off the shower knob and stepped out of the shower. Fortunately, she did bring her clothes with her before she sprinted off more than an hour ago. She changed into a simple lime green shirt, with two black butterfly silhouettes in the center, placed in different angles, and a black track pants with two long white stripes at the sides. She let her hair to dry naturally.

By the time she went out of the bathroom, Takashi and Mitsukuni were already dressed. Takashi was wearing a sleeveless black jacket with a lime green sleeveless cotton shirt underneath, accompanying the upper clothing was a pair of straight-cut black pants with two long white stripes at the side. Meanwhile, Mitsukuni was wearing a simple yellow polo shirt with a thick black stripe in the middle and a pair of those pants with lots of side pockets on them, light brown in colour (**a/n**: what is it called exactly? I know there's a name for it). They were waiting for Haruhi.

"Ah, Haru-chan!" Mitsukuni called and skipped over to her, "We were waiting for you. I thought you would never come out from there," he said adorably and looked at her with those caramel eyes of his.

"Gomen, I was a little… preoccupied with my thoughts," she replied gently and lightly ruffled his hair.

All the while, Takashi was watching her, more like studying her every move. He noted the pale pink tint on her cheeks when she explained about why she took so long in the bathroom. '_I wonder what thoughts preoccupied her mind while she was in there_,' he mused silently and his eyes portrayed curiosity towards the brunette's thoughts.

Just then, two small knocks on the door interrupted their conversation, one of the maids announced that dinner will be served in fifteen minutes. Haruhi muttered a 'thank you' before the maid headed downstairs to continue her own work.

"Let's go to dinner!" said an enthusiastic Mitsukuni, the pink flowers already starting to appear to float around his head aimlessly. He held Haruhi's hand in his small ones and Haruhi squeezed it lightly, they looked like a mother and child and a certain tall guy in the bedroom liked the image. Takashi got up from his bed and strode towards them, taking Haruhi's other side. They walked out of their room and descended down the stairs.

---

…_**The Dining Room…**_

The others were already seated at the large mahogany dining table. Kyouya sat at the head of the table, with Tamaki and the twins on his right side. Haruhi, Takashi and Mitsukuni sat on his left. Dinner was served as soon as they were all seated.

It was an exquisite dinner with appetizers of creamy mushroom ravioli served first. Then followed suit were the main courses, consisting of grilled (medium rare) lamb with a tantalizing sweet and spicy sauce, lobster with a creamy lemony sauce and Caesar salad. Last but not least, dessert. Everyone had a slice of blueberry cheesecake, except for Mitsukuni, who had one whole blueberry cheesecake to himself because a slice was just _not enough_ for him.

"Since everyone is finish already, we should head out to the beach before the ladies are impatiently waiting for us," Kyouya announced, after taking a last gulp of his sparkling juice.

"Yes! We should! As gentlemen, we should never make the ladies wait, it is an improper thing to do," Tamaki said dramatically as he stood abruptly from his chair. The others were already making their way out to the front door when Tamaki kept on babbling about the ways of gentlemen and how to treat the ladies properly.

"…It is a gentleman respons-…" Tamaki trailed off when he realized that nobody was there but himself, "Everyone…?" he whirled around to see if they were hiding from him, but alas, they were not.

Then one of the maids approached him, "Suoh-sama, the young master and the rest of your friends are already making their way to the beach," she explained as she saw the confused expression on his Prince-like face, then she bowed and excused herself.

Tamaki darted off towards the front door and started to catch up with them, "You guys are so mean! Leaving me behind in solitude!" he whined like a five-year old child, arms flailing to the air dramatically.

"You kept on blabbering Senpai," Haruhi said nonchalantly as she walked beside Takashi with Mitsukuni in hand, "We didn't want to make the ladies wait, right?"

Tamaki immediately retreated to his dark corner of woe, which magically appeared out of nowhere, at his 'daughter's' statement. The others ignored him totally and proceeded to the beach, whether he was coming or not.

---

…_**The Beach…**_

A butler was stationed near a small oak table where folds of checkered (and of finest quality) blankets were placed. The hosts stood waiting for the ladies at the beach and the expected ladies arrived five minutes later. Kyouya instructed them to take a blanket from the butler so they can use it to sit down on the sand; one blanket was enough for three people.

Ten minutes before the fireworks display started, everybody had already settled down on the beach, some opted to lie down on the blanket while some opted to just sit as they gazed up at the night sky. The host club members sat on one very large blanket, excluding the manager, she was sitting with her friend, Sumire, a few feet away from them.

The stars were out tonight; a million stars that looked like diamonds spread around the dark night sky. It was absolutely the most beautiful thing anyone has ever seen.

In 3… 2… 1… a streak of bright red light, from somewhere out at the ocean, shot up to the dark sky and transformed into a large circular pattern, lighting the dark night in the process. Before the bright red pattern faded, another one shot up and this one was green, then it was followed by another different colour, orange, and another, yellow, and another, blue, and another, white.

The ladies went 'ooh' and 'aah' as the fireworks continued to shoot up at the sky. Even the hosts were mesmerized by the beauty.

Haruhi leaned towards Takashi as she gazed up at the firework display, unaware with her own movement. Surprised, Takashi looked down at Haruhi and smiled fondly when a smile of contentment crossed her face, and then he gazed back up to look at the fireworks and enjoyed this moment with her.

Mitsukuni was laying his head on Haruhi's lap as he gazed up at the sky, his eyes were half-closed but he fought the urge to fall asleep during this night, he wanted to enjoy every last bit of the fireworks. As he struggled to stay awake, sleep won over him and eventually he reluctantly closed his eyes and went to his slumber, giving out the softest snores anyone could ever hear.

Tamaki was too mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the fireworks, so he didn't really notice much about his surroundings nor did he notice the way Takashi looked at Haruhi, with all the love he could give to her. The twins, for once, didn't even bother to do any pranks during that moment, because they too were watching the fireworks display intently. As for Kyouya, even though he was enjoying the firework display, he _**did not**_ miss the look Takashi gave to the only female host of the club. He smirked lightly at this current progress.

The night was filled with colourful rainbows as the fireworks display lasted for more than fifty minutes, nearing to an hour. It was a colourful night indeed.

---

After the fireworks display event ended, the ladies were sent back to their hotel after the hosts, excluding Mitsukuni who was currently sleeping in Haruhi's arms, bid them good night. As the last limousine for the ladies drove away, it was time to head back to Kyouya's summer house/mansion.

"Here," Takashi offered his hands to Haruhi so he could carry Mitsukuni instead.

"No, that's okay, I got him," she replied with a slight shake of her head and gave him a soft smile. She adjusted Mitsukuni so that his head lay on her right shoulder while she supported his weight with both arms. The other hosts, other being Tamaki and Hikaru, could only looked on at her and the small blonde senior in her arms with jealousy as they proceeded their way to their respective bedrooms. Kyouya only smirked inwardly as he studied them behind his glasses' glare.

Takashi and Haruhi walked up the stairs to their bedroom; comfortable silence accompanied them along the way. Once inside, Haruhi lay Mitsukuni gently to his bed, then tucked the blanket. Usa-chan lay next to him, sleeping peacefully.

Haruhi went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit before she went to bed and she brought along her duffle bag so she could change into some fitting attire to sleep in. As she rummaged through her bag to find her usual flannel pajamas she always wore to bed, she noticed something white and frilly, folded neatly at the very bottom. She grimaced when she took it out, "Dad," she muttered irritatingly and shook her head in dismay.

'_I guess I have to wear it then, since Dad probably took out my flannel pajamas when he repacked my bag_,' she thought silently and added a mental note to check her packed clothes next time, if ever the host club decided to do another outing, which she was _**sure**_ they would.

The light was already out when she walked out of the bathroom, only the soft moonlight glow illuminated the bedroom. Takashi was sitting on his bed, his back against the head board. He was shirtless once again and he only opted for a pair of comfortable shorts to sleep in. He didn't sleep yet because he wanted to wait for Haruhi to sleep first before he slept, because that way he would feel relief to know that Haruhi was alright.

"Takashi," she said in almost a whisper but it was loud enough for him to hear, "Why aren't you sleeping yet?" she asked as she walked to her bed, her feet made a soft rustle against the carpet as she moved.

Takashi gazed at her, eyes slightly wide at the night gown she wore. Thankfully, it was dark and there was not enough light for her to see the slight blush forming on his cheeks, '_Beautiful_,' he thought silently as he continued to gaze at her.

"Nn," he replied, "I was waiting for you," he said simply and gazed into her chocolate brown eyes as she sat at the edge of her bed, facing towards him.

Haruhi tilted her head to the side slightly, "Why?" she asked softly, "You should have slept already, you didn't have to wait for me."

"It would only make me feel right to know that you're here, to know that you're safe," he explained in a rather straight-forward manner and gave her a smile.

"Oh," was the only thing she could say and smiled sheepishly, "I'm… here already, so… you should get some… sleep," she added and a blush was threatening to develop across her cheeks. Suddenly she found the frills on her night gown to be of most interest, so she diverted her gaze there instead and started fiddling with the frills.

"Good night, Haruhi," he said softly, a crooked smile lingering on his lips as he watched her fiddle with the frills on her night gown.

"Mm, good night… Takashi," she replied in the same soft manner, still not looking at him in the eyes, and immediately slid under the blanket of her bed.

Feeling rather amused, Takashi got up from his bed and climbed onto hers. He softly kissed her forehead and whispered to her ear, "Sleep well, _hime_," and he felt her body froze momentarily. He smirked and climbed back into his bed, finally letting sleep overcame him.

Haruhi, on the other hand, couldn't sleep that night as her cheeks were blushing dangerously.

---

**Author's note – see? I told you I'd post this chapter over the weekend. I'm a girl who shall keep her promise! XD**

**If you haven't noticed it yet, it was a "coincidence" that Haruhi's and Takashi's shirt colour was the same (lime green), even their pants (black with two white stripes) were the same. :P**

**So, what are you waiting for? Send me reviews! Make me happy! If you don't, then I'll be sad like Mitsukuni when he didn't get his way. Yes, I know, I'm selfish that way. But you'd still read my story, right? Right? Rightttttttttttt? *puppy eyes***

**Okay, enough of these nonsense ramblings! Next chapter will be posted next week, so stay tune!**

**If you have suggestions, then throw them at me! I'll welcome them with opened arms and perhaps, I will make use of them in my future chapters of this story. XD**

**Ja~ ne!**


	18. The Start of Summer Vacation

**Author's note!**

**Thank you to those who gave me reviews! As well as to those who put this story on alert and made it in your favorite list. You guys really made my day much, much brighter. XD**

**To **_phommabouth_** – yes, I believe that Takashi is a big romantic at heart! And Haruhi is still confused with her own feelings, you know how dense she could get when it comes to **_**love**_**.**

**To **_dragonite462___**– thank you for telling me the name of Mitsukuni's pants! I think that's the right name. And here *hands you a tissue* for your nosebleed. XD**

**Disclaimer: One, I am NOT Bisco Hatori and two, I **_**obviously**_** do NOT own OHSHC. XD**

---

**Chapter 17 – The Start of Summer Vacation**

---

Takashi woke up early the next day. He fumbled at the bedside table in search for his phone, he swiftly flipped it opened with his thumb to check the current time; it showed thirty minutes past four in the morning. He heaved himself up using his elbows as support and got out of bed. He then checked the two other sleeping figures; they seemed to be resting peacefully. A small smile crossed his face as he watched Haruhi's sleeping figure.

Her hair was slightly dampened due to the humid air inside the bedroom, even though the air- conditioner was on, her bangs parted to the right, hiding her eyes. Her mouth was slightly parted as she breathed evenly. Her delicate fingers lay curled on her pillow as she slept.

'_Even in her sleep, she looks utterly beautiful_,' he thought to himself. Then he went over to Mitsukuni's bed and retrieved Usa-chan from the floor. He tucked the pink stuffed bunny under his cousin's arm and pulled the blanket over his small body.

Takashi then decided to do his early morning meditation down at the beach, even though it was still dark outside.

He quietly made his way to the bedroom door and shut it softly after he got out. He proceeded down the grand staircase. It seemed that everybody, including the maids, were still asleep. He slipped through the front door and made his way to the beach.

Once he had found the perfect spot to meditate, he sat down on the white sand and began his meditation.

---

Haruhi woke up exactly twenty minutes later after Takashi left the bedroom. The day was still dark but the sky was lightening. She pulled her blanket cover off from her body and stepped down from her bed from the left side. She started to look around and noticed that Takashi wasn't in bed when she turned to look at the two beds next to hers.

'_I wonder where Takashi went_,' she thought mentally and then she remembered last night's incident, '_I almost forgot that he kissed me last night._' A blush crept to her cheeks and she shook her head slightly in order to clear her thoughts.

After calming her racing heart, she walked over to the double French doors and turned the knob slowly so as not to wake Mitsukuni. Leaving the doors slightly ajar, she stepped out to the balcony and inhaled the fresh early morning summer air. She gazed up at the sky to see the moon glowing softly. The feeling she felt was of pure bliss.

After inhaling much fresh summer air into her lungs, she went back in and closed the door behind her before proceeding to the bathroom.

---

By now, the maids and chefs were already up and working about in the kitchen, preparing today's breakfast menu as well as to start on the cleaning at some random part of the mansion.

The twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, were still asleep since it was the start of summer break (they don't wake up early especially during school breaks). Even Tamaki and the Demon Lord (who usually wakes up at 11am) were still asleep peacefully in their bedroom.

---

…_**Down At The Beach…**_

_Swish… Swash… Swish… Swash…_

The sound of waves crashing against the sandy white beach helped Takashi to fully concentrate on his morning meditation. His whole body was relaxed and his breathing was even, he solely concentrated to the sounds of his surroundings: the crashing of the waves, the blowing of the wind, and the crying of the seagulls.

An hour passed by and as he reached the end of his meditation, he inhaled the air deeply and exhaled the air out of his lungs slowly. He opened his eyes to see a glimpse of the sun at the horizon; the morning sky was now filled with a ray of multi-colored hues from orange, red and pink.

He swiftly stood up from his meditation spot and went back to the mansion to take his morning shower.

---

…_**Back in the Bedroom…**_

Haruhi just finished showering and already gotten dressed inside the bathroom; her choice of attire for today was a simple short-sleeved sundress, it went down passed her knees and it was white in colour, with a few cherry blossom branches designed on the right side of her dress. Ranka must have had slipped it in when she wasn't looking. Actually, all her clothes were now kinda girlish since there were a lot of sundresses in her duffel bag.

As she stepped out from the bathroom, the door to the bedroom was opened from outside as Takashi stepped in from his morning meditation. They gazed at each other momentarily.

"Good morning," Haruhi said as she broke the silence and a small smile formed on her pink lips.

"Morning," Takashi replied and a small smile formed on his lips as well.

They stood at their current spots for a few seconds, not uttering a single word, before Takashi blurted out, "Shower," and started to move towards the bathroom. Haruhi replied with a, "Sure – I mean go ahead," and made her way to corner lounge. As they passed each other, their skins made contact. It felt like feathers tickling their skin but at the same time, an electric current was sent up their spine. The sudden electricity made the both of them jolt slightly though it was more visible on Haruhi, since Takashi managed to hide his.

A faint pink tinge of embarrassment formed on both their faces, across their cheeks.

When Takashi was currently showering, Haruhi went over to Mitsukuni's bed to check up on him. He seemed to be sleeping rather peacefully. She wouldn't wake him up yet, since the time was still early.

She went over to the double French doors and stepped out into the balcony.

---

When Takashi was finished with his shower and already gotten dressed (with a dark brown polo t-shirt and a pair of dark-colored track pants), he went over to the balcony since Haruhi was currently there. He took the spot next to her and they were now leaning towards the railings. Haruhi wasn't surprised to see him there but she didn't say a thing either. They just stood there, side-by-side, in comfortable silence, enjoying the morning scenery.

The early morning breeze was blowing gently and it made Haruhi's bangs rustled against her forehead. There was a glow on her face, as Takashi noted, and her warm chocolate brown eyes seemed to sparkle in their own way.

"Do you wanna go for a walk down at the beach?" she asked out of the blue and her eyes were still focused to the ocean.

Takashi gave her a side-glance before replying to her request, "Ah."

They quietly went to the bedroom door so Mitsukuni wouldn't be disturbed from his sleep. They descended the grand staircase and went to the back door of the mansion, passed the chefs and the maids who were currently working at the kitchen. The workers were eyeing them curiously and the both of them just nodded with a smile before proceeding out to the beach.

---

…_**Down at the Beach…**_

The sun was way above the horizon by now. Haruhi and Takashi strolled side-by-side along the sandy white beach, the waves were cool as they gently collided with their bare feet.

"I wonder how Dad is doing…" Haruhi said absentmindedly, after ten minutes of comfortable silence.

"Are you worried?" Takashi asked simply.

"Hmm? Ah, no. Not really. Well, maybe a little. But I guess he's probably doing fine," she replied rather abruptly but she calmed down at the end.

"Ah," he replied and suppressed a chuckle, "Ranka-san would be fine, Misuzu-san will take care of him," he added reassuringly.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe, I just worry too much about Dad," she said quietly, eyes gazing down at her feet.

"I understand," he replied in the same quiet manner but he kept his gaze ahead of him.

Haruhi only smiled at his reply, then they were both silent again.

"What's your favorite color, Takashi?" she asked out of the blue.

"Brown," he replied without a moment of hesitance or even thinking about his choice.

"Why do you like brown?" she asked again, not seeming curious enough. She just wanted the conversation to continue, though she didn't really mind the silence.

Takashi took a moment to consider his choice of words. "Brown is warm," he said simply and added (without even thinking about it), "like your eyes." A few seconds later, he just realized what he had told her.

Haruhi kept her gaze down because she didn't dare to look into his eyes and also to hide the deep blush forming on her cheeks. Takashi also had a blush on his face.

'_Why the hell did I just blurted that out?_' he cursed inwardly, '_It's too late to take it back now, might as well see what her reaction is,_' he added mentally.

Five minutes passed by but Haruhi still didn't say anything, not even a single word. Takashi gave a side-glance towards her and noticed her face was a lighter shade of red. He chuckled inwardly and decided to break the silence.

"What's your-" he was about to ask the same question to her, but she cut him off.

"Gray," she blurted out and her face was a deeper shade of red, "just like your eyes," she added timidly.

Takashi was surprised, _**seriously**_ surprised. It was fortunate that Haruhi kept her gaze downwards; otherwise she would be able to see him gaping at her answer. His face turned five shades of red but he instantly put his stoic mask on. They continued to walk slowly along the beach.

"What do you like to do during your free time?" Haruhi asked again after another ten minutes of silence, her face still had a faint pink tinge.

"Practice Kendo and reading books," he replied, "you?" he asked, implying the same question to her.

"Trying out new recipes and… reading books," she replied with a soft chuckle, "We have something in common," she added bluntly.

"Ah," he chuckled too.

This conversation went on for another twenty minutes, and both of them gained new knowledge about each other. They decided to go back to the mansion and took their time to reach there; they entered from the back door. The chefs and maids were surprised with the genuine smiles on Haruhi's and Takashi's faces, and the way they look into each other's eyes.

One of elder chefs said, with a dreamy expression on his face, "Ah, such young love. I remembered the time when I was in love…" he trailed off dreamily. Both Takashi and Haruhi clearly heard what he said and they blush a deeper shade of red before proceeding to go upstairs.

---

…_**Back in the Bedroom…**_

"Mitsukuni," Takashi called as he tried to wake his small cousin up, Haruhi stood beside him.

"What is it?" Mitsukuni asked in his low-blood-pressure-beast tone and gave them a glare, "You know I don't like to be awakened, Takashi," he added coldly and went back to sleep.

"Mitsukuni, if you don't wake up now, you will not have any cakes later," Haruhi threatened in a rather teasing voice.

Exactly one second later…

"I'm up! I'm up!" Mitsukuni shouted happily with a huge grin on his face, "Cake~ Cake~"

"Shower first or no cakes," Takashi ordered in his monotone voice.

"Fine," Mitsukuni replied grumpily as he pouted and crossed his small arms across his chest. Haruhi lightly ruffled his messy blonde hair and this made another grin on Mitsukuni's face. He jumped from his bed and ran towards the bathroom. Ten minutes later, he finished his shower and he was even dressed already. "Cake!"

"Breakfast first," Takashi and Haruhi said together and they looked at each other before a smile broke on their faces. Mitsukuni eyed Takashi and Haruhi; he noticed something different about them, like they've gotten closer over one night, or in their case, one morning during a walk along the beach. Then he decided to play along by being child-like.

"Boo. You guys are no fun," he said sulkily and gave another pout, "But we'll have cake later right?" he added in his adorable child-like voice as pink flowers danced around his head.

"Yes," they both replied and smiled together.

---

…_**In Hikaru's and Kaoru's Bedroom…**_

_Knock, knock, knock._

There was a soft but firm knock on the twins' bedroom door. "Hikaru-bocchama, Kaoru-bocchama, it's time to wake up. Breakfast will be served in half an hour," the young maid announced as she stepped into the twins' bedroom.

"Nngh, it's still early," Hikaru groaned in his sleep. His twin, Kaoru, moved beside him. Apparently, they were sleeping together, so there was no need to have two beds in their room. The young maid blushed at the twins' half-naked sight, as Hikaru propped himself on the bed using his left elbow to get a better look at her.

"Do you want to join us in bed?" Hikaru asked her, his eyes glinting mischievously. The maid became flustered with his sudden request.

"Hi-ka-ru," Kaoru whined as he picked up on his twin's act and propped himself up with his right elbow, "I thought you would only allow **me** to be in the same bed with you,"

"I'm sorry Kaoru," Hikaru said apologetically and placed a finger under Kaoru's chin, "you know I only meant that as a joke, I would _never_ have somebody else to be in the same bed with me except for you."

"Hikaru…" Kaoru muttered softly and looked away embarrassingly. The maid's face became ten deeper shades of red as she witnessed the twincest of brotherly love in front of her.

"But you know Kaoru," Hikaru said suddenly in a very cat-like manner, eyeing the maid mischievously, "it would be such a waste, don't you agree? There's an innocent little kitty in front of us, we could 'play' with her for a little while," he added.

"You're right Hikaru," Kaoru replied in the same cat-like manner and eyed the maid mischievously as well, "It would be such a _waste_ indeed."

"Come join us in bed, little kitty," they said in unison and patted the bed.

"Excuse me! I have – I mean I need to attend to some work!" she squeaked as she became flustered over the twins gesture and scurried out of the room in haste.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! _That was a good one!_ Did you **see** her _face_?!" Hikaru shouted as he began to laugh uncontrollably on the bed.

"I _know_! Man, we are **so** good in these things," Kaoru replied as he tried to control his breathing from laughing too hard.

---

…_**In Kyouya's and Tamaki's Bedroom…**_

Tamaki woke up unexpectedly early today and Kyouya was still sleeping of course; the Shadow King never wakes up until after 11 a.m. since he stayed up late almost every day to finish his calculations on the host club's financials and other necessary (and secretive) business deals.

Tamaki knew better than to wake the Demon Lord up during this holiday, but he decided to wake him up nonetheless since he had plans to do today (or so he thought) for the entire host members. Why waste time since all his 'family' was here? "Bonding time is important for the family," Tamaki once said.

"Kyouya, wake up!" Tamaki said cheerily as he stood beside the demon lord's bed, "We have so much to do today with the whole family! Come! We must not waste even a minute!" he continued enthusiastically. But Kyouya made no attempt to move out of his bed nor did he reply to the Host King's ramblings.

"Come on! Come on!" Tamaki urged as he shook Kyouya awake, "You think it's okay to sleep until noon on the first day of summer vacation?"

Kyouya made a side-glance glare towards Tamaki and heaved himself up on his bed using his right hand, his eyes were hidden underneath his bangs and a purple demonic aura emanated slowly around the demon lord's figure.

"Let me make this **clear**: I _slept_ at 5 a.m." Kyouya explained in a very dangerous tone, "Do you think I even _care_ if it's the first day of summer vacation? This is _my_ place; I will do _whatever _I _want_,"

"Screw your 'family activities'," Kyouya added icily, "I'm getting damn tired of this family gag of yours, and I don't give a fuck about this family pretense of yours either," he said in finality and fell back to his bed.

Tamaki was shivering in fear as he retreated immediately to hide under his bed.

---

…_**In the Dining Room…**_

Haruhi, Mitsukuni and Takashi were already seated at the dining table, with Haruhi placed in the middle between the two seniors and they were waiting for the others. About fifteen minutes later, Hikaru and Kaoru arrived and took their seats across from Haruhi and Takashi. Soon after the twins seated themselves, Tamaki arrived in haste (since he managed to drag his ass out from his and Kyouya's shared bedroom).

Kyouya arrived five minutes later after Tamaki seated himself, he was in a rather gloomy mood from being awakened so early in the morning, and the tension seemed to thicken suddenly. Everyone shuddered due to the sudden drop of temperature; it felt like they were out in the snow with very thin clothes. Tamaki, on the other hand, was fidgeting nervously and he was sweating like hell even though the whole dining room was filled with ice (that seemed to appear out of nowhere).

Takashi, Haruhi and Mitsukuni decided to ignore the immediate change in atmosphere; they wore their parkas (due to the cold) and ate their breakfast with blank expressions. The twins (also in parkas) decided to lift the gloomy atmosphere by joking around with each other and conversing happily, oblivious to their Lord's nervous wreck behavior.

Haruhi decided to break the ice.

"Ano Kyouya-senpai, what are the plans for today?" she asked nonchalantly, pausing from slicing the meat on her breakfast plate.

"Well Haruhi, I currently have no plans for today," he replied and continued to eat his breakfast, "Tamaki, since you seemed _enthusiastic _earlier, I assumed you have the activities planned for today, or do you not have any?" he added and his glasses gave a glare; his lips formed into a not-so-pleasant smile.

"Eek!" Tamaki yelped in horror at his best friend's evil expression and cowered in fear in his seat. The twins stared at Tamaki and snickered together as they continued to eat their breakfast.

"So, Tamaki-senpai, what are your plans for today?" she asked straightforwardly, oblivious to his fears of the demon lord, as she continued to chew on the piece of bacon she speared from her plate.

"I-I don't have any plans for t-today, H-Haruhi," he stuttered and gave a quick side-glance towards Kyouya (who kept eating his breakfast).

"We don't feel like going out today anyway. We'll be in our room for the rest of the day. Besides the fall fashion season is coming soon, so we'll probably be busy since our Mother wants us to do some fall fashion sketches for her," the twins interjected during the conversation.

"Hmm… So everyone will do their own thing huh? Cool, I'm fine with that," she stated happily.

The breakfast continued smoothly after that and Tamaki was being abnormally quiet, probably because he had faced the demon lord's wrath earlier. But he did strike up random conversations with the twins every now and then to get rid of his nervous feeling towards Kyouya.

---

…_**Back at the Third Floor Bedroom… **_

"Ne, ne Haru-chan," Mitsukuni called as they seated themselves at the lounge area, "What do you wanna do today?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side, his small hand holding a fork in mid-air as he paused from eating his cake.

"Hmm…" Haruhi pondered as she held a tea cup in her delicate fingers, "I don't know, I'm not sure yet. How about you Mitsu?" she asked as she sipped her apple-flavored tea. Takashi was sitting next to her with a book in hand.

"Ano ne, I was thinking that we could go out today, but I don't know where to," he replied and shoved another piece of cake into his mouth; cake crumbs were all over his mouth.

"Well, there's a park near town, why don't we go there?" she suggested and took a napkin from the coffee table and wiped the small blonde's mouth, "We could feed the ducks and walk around the park, there's a small playground there too," she added with a smile.

"Will there be any cakes?" he asked sweetly, his caramel eyes were huge and sparkly.

"I don't know about cakes," she chuckled as she looked at Mitsukuni's expression, "But I'm sure there's ice cream. We could always dropped by the bakery shop on our way there if you want cake,"

"Really? Yay! Okay then, let's go to the park!" he said enthusiastically and held Usa-chan in his arm.

"Takashi, will you be okay with that?" she asked their silent companion.

"Ah, I called the chauffeur already," he replied with a small smile and lay his book down on the coffee table.

"When did you… Never mind," she said wondering when he called the chauffeur.

"Yay! I can't wait to go to the park~" Mitsukuni cheered on.

---

**Author's note: **

Yay! Another chapter done! Next chapter will be about the park and some other stuff ^^ I'll post it as soon as I can.

Suggestions are welcomed and reviews are appreciated. Ja~ ne!

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**(o) bocchan/bocchama** – how one addresses a young rich kid/master or someone who acts like one.


	19. Fond Memories

**Author's note:**

**Congratulations to SasoLOVE111 for being the 100****th**** reviewer for this story! I shall dedicate this chapter to you!**

**To Phommabouth, your wish for Mitsukuni to ditch Haruhi and Takashi shall be revealed as you read this chapter. XD**

**To dragonite462, your welcome! And thank you for pointing out the previous chapter's mistakes. I'll change them soon. ^^**

**Disclaimer – OHSHC belongs to ****Bisco Hatori-sama****.**

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**Chapter 18 – Fond Memories**

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A shiny black BMW limousine parked itself in front of the mansion, the chauffeur stood next to the car, waiting for his young masters, Takashi and Mitsukuni, and their friend, Haruhi, to arrive. As the trio stepped out from the front door, they made their way to the limousine.

"Takashi-bocchama, Mitsukuni bocchama," the chauffeur greeted the young masters formally then turned towards Haruhi, "Fujioka-sama," he greeted and nodded his head.

"Please, just call me Haruhi," she said and smiled at the chauffeur, "You've met me more than once already, no need for the formal greeting," she added and chuckled softly.

"Very well then, Haruhi," he said with a pleasant smile and opened the door for them to enter. Mitsukuni went in first, he sat near the window, and Haruhi went in next and sat beside Mitsukuni. Takashi went in last and he sat next to Haruhi. The chauffeur closed the door and went over to the front driving seat. Then the limousine started to move in a rather pleasant pace.

"Do you want some cake Haru-chan?" Mitsukuni asked as he held a piece of cake on a small plate in his hands.

"No, that's okay Mitsu, you eat them for me," she replied with a small smile and refused his offer politely.

"Mitsukuni, not too much," Takashi ordered in his monotone voice as he gave his cousin a side-glance.

"Okay, I won't eat after this until we're at the park!" he replied cheerily.

"Oh which reminds me, Denjiro-san, could we please stop by the bakery shop first?" Haruhi called to the front seat.

"Sure," Denjiro replied in a pleasant tone as he looked in the rear-view mirror then stared back to the road ahead.

The ride to the bakery shop was short and it only took fifteen minutes to reach there. Mitsukuni and Takashi stayed in the limousine upon Haruhi's insistence; she told them she would only take a short while to buy the needed cakes, so they didn't have to step down from the car.

Inside the bakery shop, Haruhi didn't have a hard time to choose the cakes Mitsukuni would like. She'd picked a few strawberry shortcakes and some chocolate cakes as well. She went to the counter to purchase them.

The drive continued for another twenty minutes until eventually a glimpse of the park could be seen. Mitsukuni was bouncing in his seat as the park neared in view.

"Yay! We're at the park!" Mitsukuni shouted in joy and bounded out from the door without even waiting for Denjiro to open it. He seemed really enthusiastic. Takashi and Haruhi stepped out from the limousine and went after the small blonde boy who ran off ahead of them. Denjiro drove away and will return when Takashi calls him.

"C'mon Haru-chan! I wanna go see the ducks!" Mitsukuni said as he retreated back to his two companions. He took hold of her free hand (the other was holding the bag of desserts) and led the way to the pond. Takashi walked beside her casually, then decided to take hold of the bag of desserts from her hand and before Haruhi could protest, he said, "I'll carry this," with a small smile gracing his lips.

Once they reached the pond, Mitsukuni stood near the edge to see the ducks moving by.

"Look Takashi!" Mitsukuni shouted and pointed to the nearest duck, "Aren't they cute?" he said adorably with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Mmm," Takashi replied with a nod and went over to one of the wooden benches near the pond, under a huge maple tree, to sit down.

Haruhi squatted next to Mitsukuni and held a piece of stale bread, which she broke into smaller pieces, before throwing them into the pond. The ducks came swarming near the source of food. Mitsukuni squatted down too and watched in awe as the ducks fought over the pieces of bread.

"Do you want to try feeding them?" Haruhi asked and held a brown paper bag filled with stale bread in her hand.

"Hai!" Mitsukuni nodded enthusiastically and pink flowers surrounded him. Haruhi handed the brown paper bag to him then stood up.

"I'll go sit with Takashi, okay? You'll be fine by yourself? We'll be near if you need anything," she said and lightly ruffled his hair. Mitsukuni only nodded in reply, and to show that he'll be absolutely fine, he gave her one of his huge grins. Haruhi smiled fondly and made her way to the bench where Takashi was currently sitting.

"He looks like he's having a lot of fun," Haruhi said as she sat next to Takashi.

"That's good," Takashi replied shortly and they continued to watch little Mitsukuni in comfortable silence.

A good ten minutes later, Mitsukuni rose from his squatting position and skipped to Takashi and Haruhi, the pinks flowers were still intact. The ducks looked… plumped somehow.

"Takashi, Haru-chan, can we eat the cakes now?" Mitsukuni asked sweetly as he tilted his head to the side, "I feel hungry after feeding the ducks,"

"Sure," Haruhi replied simply.

They ate the cakes as Mitsukuni talked on about cakes, bunnies and ducks. The other two only nodded in reply and continued nibbling on their cakes. It was now around ten in the morning, the day still seemed to be pleasant with the summer breeze blowing gently around them. Once they finished the desserts, Mitsukuni wanted to go play at the park's playground. So, the three of them made their way there with Mitsukuni holding Haruhi's left hand and Takashi took to stand at her other side. What they didn't notice was, everyone in the park, little children to old couples, were staring at them.

"Oh my, look dear," an elderly woman said to her husband as she pointed at the trio's direction, "they seemed to be such a wonderful family. Don't you think so? That blonde child really is adorable, he reminds me our grandson," the old lady said fondly.

"Yes, they are anata, but don't you think the girl looks too young to be a mother?" the husband replied in a gentle manner, not meaning to say inappropriate things about said girl.

"Oh, you're right. Now that I look at them more, even the tall boy looks too young to be a father and they don't really look similar with the small blonde boy, but the girl and that tall boy do make a good match with each other," she chuckled softly and continued to enjoy the scenery with her husband.

"I bet that she'll be a very good mother to her children," she smiled at her own conclusion, her husband was smiling to her statement as well and clasped her hand affectionately before planting a soft kiss, "And I bet the young man would be a wonderful father," he said with a smile.

At the playground area, children were running around chasing each other, some were playing at the see-saw and some were playing at the slides. Their parents were nearby as they watched their children play. Mitsukuni let go of Haruhi's hand and ran off towards the swings, which were unoccupied at the moment. Haruhi took her time to reach the swings area with Takashi trailing behind her in a close distance.

Once they reached there, Mitsukuni was already enjoying his time on the swings as he swung high back and forth, his eyes were dreamy and pink flowers danced around his head. Haruhi took the swing beside him while Takashi stood, watching them like a guardian, a small smile graced his lips. Haruhi and Mitsukuni began competing to see which of them could swing higher and who could go faster. Of course, Mitsukuni won since he was smaller.

He jumped off from the swing and landed gracefully on the ground, in front of Takashi. Haruhi managed to slow down her swinging, and stayed seated for a while longer.

"Haru-chan, is there a bathroom in this park?" Mitsukuni asked suddenly, his voice sweet and adorable, no hidden intention could be heard.

"Yes, I'll show you the way," she started and got off from her swing.

"Eh? No, no!" Mitsukuni replied almost immediately, "I mean, just tell me where it is, and I'll go by myself, ne?" he said again in that innocent I'm-not-plotting-anything tone.

Being the ever blunt person that she was and not even aware of anything suspicious from the small blonde boy in front of her, Haruhi told him the directions to the bathroom and asked him again whether he was sure he wanted to go alone. Takashi also offered to go with him but Mitsukuni downright refused, he said he'll managed on his own and gave them a huge smile before thanking Haruhi and took off to the bathroom's direction. Takashi sensed something fishy was up but left it as it is, whatever Mitsukuni was planning, he knew he'll find out soon. Both Takashi and Haruhi missed the mischievous smile on Mitsukuni's face as he walked off to the bathroom that was located at the other side of the park.

Haruhi went back over to the swings and plopped herself down, she started to swing in small motions, enjoying the cool breeze made from the swinging. Takashi decided to sit at Mitsukuni's earlier swing but he didn't move in motion like Haruhi did. He just sat there, watching the scenery and giving side-glances towards Haruhi as she swung in contentment with her eyes closed and a small smile gracing her lips. He smiled at her simple but beautiful features.

"Are you enjoying your time, Takashi?" Haruhi asked softly as she continued to swing in small motions.

"Yeah," he replied simply and glanced at her, "Are you?"

"Mmm," she replied shortly and added, "It's been awhile since I've been to the park. The last time I remembered was when I was six, before Okaa-san died," she muttered, but loud enough for Takashi to hear, "I often went to the park with Okaa-san and Otou-san, though I knew Okaa-san was always busy with being a lawyer and such. But she made time for us to bond as a family," she smiled fondly at a memory she remembered, "Okaa-san also knew I like to play at the swings, so she brought us to the park whenever she could, those were really great times. I didn't realize that it's been so long since I went to the park."

She continued to swing in small motions and stared ahead into empty space, "After Okaa-san died, me and Otou-san barely go to the park anymore. I think it hurts him to be there, to remember those times when she was still there with us, to be able to spend time together. He tries to hide his remorse feelings with Okaa-san gone, because I knew he didn't want me to worry," a silent tear was flowing down her cheek but she didn't seem to realize it, "I miss her... I miss Okaa-san," she said softly and a fond smile graced her lips but the tears kept coming silently.

_It was nearing noon, and everyone in the park started to leave, the playground area was quiet without the sounds of children's laughter._

She saw Takashi stood up from his swing out of the corner of her blurry and teary eyes. He stood in front of her before kneeling down and lifted her chin with his index finger so she would look at him. Then he cupped his right hand on her cheek and wiped the tears on her face using his thumb.

"It's okay to cry," he muttered softly as he gazed into her chocolate brown eyes and gently added, "I'll always be here if you need someone to talk to."

The tears came overflowing after that and Haruhi immediately got off from the swing and went straight to Takashi's chest, clinging there for dear life as if the world was going to come crashing down on her as she poured all the emotion she bottled up inside throughout the years since her mother died.

Takashi instinctively wrapped his arms around the girl's small frame and carried her bridal style to one of the huge maple trees in the park, and sat down on the grass with his back to the tree's thick trunk, with her in his arms, away from everyone's view. He made small circular motions on her back to soothe her and gave feather-light kisses to her forehead every now and then. She eventually calmed down and her sobs reduced into smaller sniffles. She lay quiet in his arms as he positioned her to sit comfortably on his lap. Just then his phone vibrated, he swiftly took it from his pants pocket to see who was texting him.

The message read:

_Takashi, I went back to Kyouya's summer house already, I got some things to do there. ^_^ Take care of Haru-chan, ne? XD_

_I'll see you both later! Bye-bye!_

_-Mitsukuni-_

Just as Takashi predicted, his small cousin was trying to make him spend some more alone time with the brunette. He wasn't complaining though, instead he was grateful he could spend more time with her, with just the two of them. He added a mental note to thank him afterwards. He flipped his phone shut and gazed down at the girl in his arms, she fell asleep after crying so much. He smiled fondly at her, "I'll always be here for you my love, always," he whispered softly and closed his eyes and held her closer to his chest as he started to doze off; the warm summer heat was making him sleepy.

---

…_**Back at Kyouya's summer house…**_

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called as he opened one door after the other but his daughter was nowhere to be found, the twins also assisted in finding her as they called her name every now and then. By this time, Mitsukuni had already returned from the park. He was munching cakes in the living room as Tamaki and the twins searched for a certain brunette girl throughout the summer house. Kyouya sat across from the small blonde senior, knowing full well where Haruhi was currently (courtesy of Mitsukuni) but he opted not to tell Tamaki or Hikaru or Kaoru. He continued to work on his laptop.

Three minutes later, Tamaki came running into the living room, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"KYOUYA!" he began, "OUR DAUGHTER IS MISSING! CALL YOUR PRIVATE POLICE SQUAD! WE HAVE TO FIND HER! WHAT IF SHE'S LOST SOMEWHERE?! WHAT IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY WITH HER?! WHAT IF SHE STARVED TO DEATH?! WHAT IF SHE GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT?!!"

"Tamaki," Kyouya called calmly but there was a hidden malice in his tone.

"WHAT IF SHE WAS KIDNAPPED?!!!!?!" Tamaki shouted frantically, worry etched on his face as his voice became louder and louder. Mitsukuni ate his cakes in contented silence, ignoring Tamaki's rants. As Tamaki continued his rants, the twins walked into the living room, fingers plucked into the ears.

"Tono! You're too loud!" the twins complained as they stood next to him.

But when Tamaki didn't stop his rants, Kyouya threw a hard-cover book into Tamaki's face and it left a flat mark. Tamaki immediately retreated to his dark corner of woe, muttering phrases like, "Mommy's so mean," and "That hurts."

'_That should shut him up a bit_,' Kyouya thought silently as he pushed his glasses up with his index finger. His glasses gave off a glare.

"Hani-senpai, if you please," Kyouya started and continued his interrupted typing earlier due to Tamaki's rants.

"Ano ne," Mitsukuni started off with a fork stuck in his mouth, "You don't have to worry about Haru-chan, Tama-chan. She's at the park right now, with Takashi," he said happily and a grin formed on his face.

"EH??!" Tamaki and Hikaru gaped in shock. Kaoru was surprised but didn't say a thing.

"We were at the park earlier, feeding ducks and playing swings, but I left them there because I needed to eat the cakes here, ne?" he added sweetly and innocently as pink flowers danced around him.

As Tamaki and Hikaru digested this information, they were starting to make their way out of the living room, both fueled with jealousy and unnecessary worry.

"WE HAVE TO GO TO THE PARK! WHO KNOWS WHAT MORI-SENPAI WILL DO TO MY DAUGH-" Tamaki ranted off but was cut off by Mitsukuni.

"Are you trying to say that Takashi is a bad person, Tamaki?" Mitsukuni asked in a low growl, all sweetness gone and a light purple aura emanated slowly from the small blonde's body.

Tamaki cringed in fear as well as Hikaru. Kaoru opted to sit next to Kyouya; he didn't intend to get involved in this matter. He just wanted her to be happy, that was it.

"I-I didn't m-mean it t-that way, H-Hani-senpai," Tamaki stuttered in fear as he fidgeted about on his spot, Hikaru hid behind him, cowering from the Low Blood Pressure Beast.

"If you bad-mouthed Takashi again, you won't be able to graduate your high school years from Ouran," he added in that same low growl, "Ne Tama-chan? Hika-chan?" he added adorably, all sweetness came back. Tamaki and Hikaru only nodded weakly in reply as they retreated to the nearest chairs, suddenly deciding to stay there instead of going to the park after Haruhi. Kaoru suppressed a chuckle as he saw the look on both Tamaki's and his twin's expression. Kyouya added some notes into his laptop after the ordeal and Mitsukuni continued eating his cakes happily.

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…_**Back at the Park…**_

"Nngh," Haruhi gave out a soft yawn as she stirred in Takashi's arms. When she opened her eyes to see her surroundings, she blush a deep shade of red at the close proximity with Takashi. She took a peek at Takashi and noticed that he was sleeping peacefully. The sun was about to set and the park nearly empty.

'_Did I fell asleep that long? How long have we been here? Judging from the setting sun, I'd say for a long time,_' she pondered.

"Takashi, wake up," she called gently and added, "I think we should go home soon."

Takashi shook his head lightly when she woke him up. He started to look around and noticed that only one or two people were at the park during that time. He gazed down at Haruhi who stared at him with her warm chocolate brown eyes. Her eyes were puffy red from the crying earlier and her cheeks flushed.

"Okay now?" he asked simply and she nodded in reply.

"Sorry for making your shirt wet," she said timidly and stared down at her lap.

"I don't mind," he chuckled softly and gave a feather light kiss to her forehead. He noticed her cheeks were getting red, '_Is she getting sick?_' he wondered and frowned visibly. He placed his forehead against hers and felt her temperature. '_Hmm, she's getting warm,_' he noted mentally.

"Haruhi," he called, "do you feel well? Are you sick?" he asked concernedly and stared at her eyes.

"Sick? Ah, no. Maybe it's just the heat, I'll be fine," Haruhi replied hastily, when in fact, she was actually blushing from his earlier kiss to her forehead.

'_She seems flustered,_' he frowned inwardly, '_I know she's lying though, but why would she lie? Unless…_' his thoughts trailed off. He mentally hit his head for thinking that she was sick when she's only blushing. '_Ahou__, you're a host! You should know these things_,' he silently lectured himself.

"We should go," he finally said five minutes later and he stood up from the grass with Haruhi in his arms, bridal style. Then he set her gently to the ground and took out his phone to call his chauffeur, Denjiro. After exchanging a few words with Denjiro, he shoved his phone back into his pocket. All the while, Haruhi was gazing up at the sky; multi-colored hues painted the sky as the sun began to set. Birds were flying back to their nest and a gentle cool breeze blew by occasionally.

"Denjiro-san will be here in five minutes," he informed her.

"Then let's go the park's entrance," she replied with a small smile gracing her lips.

They walked side-by-side in complete silence. The limousine had already arrived by the time they reached the entrance. Denjiro held the back door opened as Takashi and Haruhi climbed inside. The drive back to the summer house was also silent, except for the few stolen side-glances they gave each other throughout the whole ride.

Neither Haruhi nor Takashi noticed the gray puffy clouds hovering in the distance.

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**Author's note:**

**I didn't plan to write about Haruhi's mother's death or the memories of the park. The idea just came to me, so I basically typed out what my mind says. Then I decided, 'Fond Memories' should be the title for this chapter which includes the times Haruhi spent with her mother and father at the park, the time with Mitsukuni and Takashi and finally, the alone time Takashi got to spend with Haruhi.**

**Next chapter will be posted next week! So stay tune! XD**

**Suggestions are welcomed. Reviews are appreciated, they make my day brighter. ^^**

**---**

anata – dear or honey.

Ahou – idiot.


	20. I

**ANNOUNCEMENT:**

**If you love Ouran and Role-Playing, please join this site:**

**http : // morinozuka . proboards . com / index . cgi**

**Just get rid of the spaces ^^**

**---**

**Review replies from those who asked me questions****!**

**To phommabouth**, I intended to do that actually, because now he's really sure about his own feelings towards her and he wanted Haruhi to know that. So, he gets more bold and romantic as you put it. And did you know? I almost forgot that Takashi had already kissed her on the lips for the first time. _Stupid short term memory…_ I'm the writer for my own story and I forget things. *scolds self*

**To dragonite462**, they did make their way into my mind! Great timing. :P I'll gladly accept the cookies and pancakes and waffles and French toasts. Just for your information, I like any kinds of syrup. Especially maple. ^^

**To everyone else who gave me reviews**, thank you so much! You people are the best because you always made my day brighter! XD

**Author's note****:**

This chapter is dedicated to… **volleyballer8**! Enjoy everyone! *randomly throws a lemon* :P

**Disclaimer****: Nope, I don't own Ouran or any of its characters. I just own some of the OC throughout the story.**

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**Chapter 19 – I…**

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As soon as Takashi and Haruhi stepped into Kyouya's summer mansion, Haruhi was immediately enveloped into a double hug courtesy of the twins. Being the over-possessive and jealous twin, Hikaru sent daggers towards Takashi who remained stoic and didn't even flinch one bit. Then Tamaki appeared and snatched her away from the twins and enveloped her into a bone-crushing hug from behind.

During the hug ordeal, Kyouya emerged from the living room; he walked casually towards the group and stood beside Takashi. Mitsukuni skipped out of the living room and stopped beside Takashi's other side. Haruhi was slowly turning blue from Tamaki's death grip hug; she did the only thing she could in order to survive. She shoved Tamaki on the stomach with her elbow (she saw it in the TV once; the program was centered on self-defense) and jumped away from him as he released his arms and staggered backwards slightly. As soon as air entered her lungs, she inhaled it greedily. Then she gave Tamaki a death-threatening glare.

All the while, the twins were gaping and Mitsukuni was watching with awe when she did that move. They didn't know Haruhi would be able to do such a thing. Well, the girl had to do what she had to do in order to survive. Takashi watched in amusement at her self-defense technique, though his face remained expressionless. Kyouya wrote down something in his portable black notebook as he recorded the event in his mind.

"Haru-chan!" Mitsukuni shouted as he ran towards her, "I didn't know you could do that!" he complimented and grinned up at her. She replied his grin with a genuine smile.

"It's only vital for me to learn self-defense after that incident at the cliff a few months ago," she explained and patted his head lightly. "Anyway, how come you left us earlier?" she asked the small blonde boy in front of her, her eyebrow rose. She was totally ignoring Tamaki's mutterings at his dark corner of woe and the twins' taunting towards the Host King.

Mitsukuni's eyes sparkled with a hidden mischief, "Well," he started in his child-like voice as he stared at her, "I had to eat the cakes here, ne? Otherwise, who would if I don't eat them?" he explained to her with a grin plastered on his face and the pink flowers appeared around him again.

She narrowed her brown eyes, wondering whether that was the truth and she saw no hidden mischief thoughts through Mitsukuni's caramel ones. "Okay," she nodded in the end and smiled down at the small boy in front of her.

"Ne Haruhi," Hikaru called and walked up to her with his twin trailing not far behind, "How come you went over to the park and not even telling us?" he asked, there was a slight angry tone in his voice, almost possessive and protective.

"Um… Should I be telling you?" she asked bluntly and tilted her head slightly to the side.

There was a flicker in Hikaru's golden eyes, as if he was frustrated or something with her answer, "Of course you should!" he nearly shouted and Kaoru laid a hand on his arm to calm him down. "You're our toy," he muttered angrily almost to a whisper but Haruhi heard it loud and clear since she was nearer to him, Mitsukuni heard it too and narrowed his eyes. "How come you told them to come with you and not us?!" his anger was increasing and Kaoru tried to calm him down again, but failed miserably.

"Hikaru…" Kaoru pleaded in a whisper but Hikaru ignored him.

By this time, Tamaki was back up from his woe corner and stood next to Hikaru, he too wanted to know why Haruhi, his precious darling daughter, wouldn't tell them when she went to the park earlier.

"Haruhi, dearest daughter," Tamaki started as he gazed at the brunette girl a few feet in front of him, "I as your Father, too, want to know why you didn't invite us to go to the park with you." There was a slight whine in his tone.

Haruhi could not believe what she just heard, first Hikaru and now Tamaki?! "First of all," she started through clenched teeth and glared at Hikaru, "You **clearly** said **earlier**, that you _didn't feel_ like going out today and that you were **busy** with the whatever designs you were going to make for your mother," she continued, "Second of all, if being your 'toy' was the _reason_ why I should let you know if I went out with other people, then that's **bullshit**! _**I'm not your freaking toy!**_" she snapped. "And senpai," she turned to glare at Tamaki (who flinched slightly), "You're _**not**_ my father, would you stop being so delusional?"

Takashi stood closer to Haruhi during the conversation and Kyouya was looking on with an expressionless face towards the group. Then Haruhi continued again, "And it's my choice if I wanted to go out with other people!" she shouted, "You don't have any rights to control my life! Nor do you have any rights to choose who I go out with!" with that statement, she stomped off towards the staircase.

Hikaru stood stunned and Kaoru pitied his brother, while Tamaki was an empty shell by the end of the conversation. Mitsukuni stared at Haruhi's retreating figure before he spoke out to Hikaru, "Hikaru," he called in his serious tone, all sweetness gone, "Did you remember what I told you a few months back?" he asked and continued when Hikaru didn't even reply, "I told you I'll break your bones when you hurt her again, didn't I?" his tone was dangerous and he narrowed his eyes threateningly towards the older twin.

Hikaru immediately shifted his eyes to the blonde senior, "I did not hurt her!" he shouted angrily and his fists were shaking. Kaoru tried to calm him down again.

"Yes you did," Mitsukuni said accusingly, "You hurt her feelings," he said clearly and the anger tone was still evident. "I was the one who wanted to go out today," he explained in his serious tone, "Haruhi only suggested that we should go to the park. If you want to blame someone, you blame **me**. Don't you dare blame her when it's not even her fault," Mitsukuni said angrily and his tiny fist clenched tightly.

Takashi laid a hand on his cousin's shoulder, "Mitsukuni," he warned and instantly Mitsukuni's anger drifted away slowly and his fists opened slightly. But the anger in his eyes stayed as he glared at Hikaru.

Haruhi was standing at the middle of the staircase as she heard Mitsukuni's explanation, her back was towards them. "Taka, Mitsu," she called them clearly by their nicknames, "Upstairs," she ordered. "There's no point in explaining things to stubborn and self-centered people," she said and continued her way to the third floor.

Hikaru and Tamaki clearly heard when Haruhi called the two seniors by their first names and she used nicknames as well. They were evidently shocked; Hikaru stared at Haruhi's retreating figure then to the two seniors in front of him, "When did they…?" he trailed off. Kaoru wasn't surprised at all since he knew all along from the day Haruhi called the short blonde senior by his first name during the tournament. Tamaki was lying on the floor, in a heap of accumulating dust when he heard his 'daughter' began calling the two seniors so… so… affectionately. Kyouya remained expressionless but his hand was writing notes down in his notebook.

Takashi and Mitsukuni looked at each other before proceeding towards the staircase as they followed Haruhi's lead to their bedroom. They left the others behind to ponder at their own thoughts now that they knew Haruhi was getting closer to the two seniors.

"Tamaki, what do we do now?" Hikaru whispered, fear evident in his eyes.

---

…_**Later that night…**_

Dinner was uneventful and awfully silent due to the earlier conversation they had. Haruhi ignored the stares Hikaru and Tamaki gave her every now and then, since she was still angry at the thought of their stupid reasons. She continued eating in silence between Takashi and Mitsukuni. The food on her plate was barely eaten because she lost her mood after she and Takashi got home from the park.

"Sumimasen," she said as she stood up from her chair and started to walk out from the dining room.

"Haruhi," Takashi called in his monotone voice as he stared at her retreating figure.

"Haru-chan, don't you want to eat?" Mitsukuni asked as he too stared at her retreating figure.

"I don't feel well," she lied without even glancing back towards the dining table and made her way to the staircase. Takashi saw right through her, he knew she was lying. But he quietly continued eating his dinner and Mitsukuni did the same as well. The twins and Tamaki showed concern towards the only female friend they had, but they didn't budge from their seats to go after her. Kyouya was… Kyouya; always indifferent.

They didn't notice the clouds were getting thicker and heavier with humidity. They didn't notice the wind was picking its speed. They didn't notice a thunderstorm was coming soon. Even Haruhi didn't notice since her mind was too occupied during that moment.

---

When she reached their bedroom, Haruhi quietly opened the door and closed it with a soft click. She proceeded towards her bed near the double French doors. She was about to lie down on her bed and contemplated on her own thoughts when a thundering crash was heard outside. It shook the mansion slightly and the chandeliers inside the bedroom rattled. Haruhi froze in her spot, her heart beat was increasing too fast that it began to hurt her chest. Another thunder crashed and it immediately sent Haruhi to seek shelter at the tiny space between her bed and Takashi's. She grabbed hold of the blanket and covered herself with it, her body was shaking too much and tears started pouring down heavily.

"Takashi…" she whispered through her tears and shaking body.

---

"Takashi," Mitsukuni muttered, "Do you hear that?" he asked, indicating the strong howling wind in the distant.

"Un," he nodded in reply. Two seconds later, a loud crashing sound of thunder was heard and it shook the mansion slightly. Everybody froze, even Kyouya. Thunderstorms were the only thing they knew that scared the hell out of Haruhi. Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru rose instantly from their seats but they were two seconds slower. Takashi was already bolting up the staircase and proceeded his way to their bedroom. Mitsukuni stayed behind because he knew this was the only thing that Takashi could do, he was the only one who was able to comfort her.

Mitsukuni rose from his seat and stood at the doorway of the dining room as Tamaki and Hikaru were already making their way to where Haruhi was; he was preventing Tamaki and Hikaru from getting out.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Hikaru shouted at the top of his lungs, "Haruhi is scared right now!"

"No," came the only reply from the blonde senior and stood at his ground.

"Hani-senpai, please," Tamaki pleaded, "I promised Haruhi that she wouldn't be alone anymore during thunderstorms. I need to go to her," he pleaded again.

"No," Mitsukuni stated again using his serious tone, "Takashi is the only one who can comfort her right now," he added but his voice softened from his serious tone.

"What do you mean he's the only one who could comfort her?!" Hikaru bellowed and his fists and body were shaking uncontrollably. Tamaki just stood there, pleading through his eyes at the senior in front of him.

"You don't understand Hika-chan, Tama-chan," Mitsukuni said in a softer tone, "He's the only one she'll need right now, do not interfere," he stated.

"Hani-senpai's right, Hikaru, Milord," Kaoru interjected their conversation calmly, "They love each other, it's only right if he was the one who was comforting her," he said and gazed at his twin then to Tamaki.

They didn't know what to say to that, Haruhi was in love with the tall senior? Why? Why him? Why didn't she choose either Hikaru or Tamaki? Tamaki always thought that he and Haruhi were meant to be together, isn't that how it was supposed to be? Hikaru always thought that one day she'll be by his side together with Kaoru, but she chose Mori over them instead?

"What do you mean by that?" Hikaru muttered stubbornly, not even wanting to accept the fact that Haruhi was _in love_ with the oldest senior.

"It means, dear brother, that their relationship developed from friends to something closer, something intimate, as they always spent time together," Kaoru explained in simple words, hoping that by now Hikaru would understand. Hikaru remained silent after that and opted to sit down at his chair. He laid his head in his hands as he contemplated through the information he just received.

Tamaki sat down on his chair too, one hand placed dramatically to his forehead. He couldn't believe what he just heard, he **wouldn't **believe it. '_As her father, I will not allow such relationships to happen,_' he thought silently, '_I will not let my daughter's virtue to be condemn by that… that _wild_ beast!_' (**a/n: *bashes Tamaki with a baseball bat!***)

---

…_**In the Third Floor's Bedroom…**_

The door silently opened and closed with a soft click. Takashi scanned the entire bedroom to see where Haruhi was, and then he spotted her, shaking uncontrollably on the floor, between his bed and hers, covered in a bundle of a blanket. Thunder crashed again outside and several lightning flashed. He swiftly made his way to her and once he reached her, he picked her up bridal style and held her closer to his chest. Haruhi clung for dear life onto Takashi's shirt and buried her tear-streaked face into his chest as another loud thunder crashed.

She whimpered in fear as Takashi laid her on her bed and he climbed to her bed as well, shielding her from the lightning with his entire body. Haruhi immediately scooted over and buried her face again to his chest. He placed his arms around her tiny frame protectively and whispered softly that everything was gonna be okay now that he was there.

"Shh, it's okay Haru, I'm here," he whispered softly to her hair, "I won't let anything to happen to you, I promise. You're safe here in my arms," he soothed her down and tried very hard to stop her tears and her shaken body. He made circular motions on her back to calm her down and eventually the tears stopped.

As soon as her tears stopped, Takashi gazed down at her and she was gazing up at him with puffy red eyes. The thunderstorm was still there as the rain pounded angrily against the roof. But with Takashi there, Haruhi could calm down a bit since, like he just said, she was safe in his arms. Takashi placed his thumb below her eyes and wiped the tears away gently. Haruhi gave out a sniff and a blush formed on her cheeks as he made the gesture.

Takashi traced his thumb along her lips once he was done wiping her tears away. By this time, Haruhi didn't even notice the thunderstorm outside because she was more concentrated on what Takashi was doing to her lips. She gazed up into his gray eyes and she noticed they were intense, there was something in his eyes but she couldn't quite explain what it was.

"Haruhi…" he whispered ever so gently and longingly as he caressed the side of her face lovingly. Haruhi shivered when he called her name like that and a warm feeling was developing around her stomach area as he stroked her face. His gaze remained the same as before, the intensity was strong; it almost burned a hole through her body.

"Takashi…" she whispered his name in the same manner as he did hers. She laid her hands on his shoulders as she hoisted herself on the bed, up to his level. Takashi immediately helped her as he lifted her up by the waist. A faint blush appeared on Haruhi's cheeks as soon as they were face to face, the sounds of the thunderstorm outside was muted immediately when Takashi gazed into her eyes with the same intensity as before.

He lightly trailed his thumb across her lower lip again and he noticed that Haruhi was shivering when he made that gesture. He smiled softly, filing this knowledge in his mind. Haruhi's brown eyes were hooded slightly and they almost seemed darker. Takashi decided to take a bold move, he move closer to Haruhi and kept his gaze on hers, telling her through his eyes that she could move away at that moment if she didn't want anything to happen. But instead, Haruhi moved closer as well, wanting to close that gap between them. He was surprised, '_Could it be…_' he started silently, '_that she has the same feelings towards me as I do to her?_' he pondered. His thoughts were cut off when Haruhi softly brushed her lips against his.

He loved the feeling when she kissed him that way. He circled her waist with one of his arms and pulled her ever so closer. Another blush appeared on her face as he began to trail soft feathery kisses from her forehead, to her cheeks, to her jaw bone and down to her neck. He trailed back up and captured her lips with his. He began by brushing his lips softly with hers and then picked up the speed. Takashi lightly traced the tip of his tongue to her lower lip, seeking permission to enter. She parted her lips and allowed Takashi's tongue to roam around with hers. Their lips molded perfectly with each other and the kiss turned more passionate.

They broke apart, gasping for air from the kiss they just had. Both their chests were heaving heavily, and both their eyes were hooded as they gaze into each other; gray eyes to brown ones and brown eyes to gray ones. Takashi moved a little downwards and rested his head between her neck and her shoulders, inhaling her strawberry scent. Haruhi ran her fingers through his spiky hair softly.

"Haruhi," he whispered softly.

"Mmm? What is it Takashi?" she asked and continued to run her fingers through his hair.

"I…" he hesitated.

Haruhi gazed down at him, "What's wrong Takashi?" she asked softly, worry was etched in her eyes. When he didn't reply, she became more worried. "Takashi?" she whispered his name lovingly. Takashi gazed up at Haruhi with that same intensity as before.

"I love you…" he said after a moment of hesitance and averted his gaze somewhere else, away from her eyes because he didn't want to see what her reaction would be; he was afraid if she was going to reject him.

Haruhi pondered for a moment and called his name, "Takashi," she added, "Look at me."

Takashi slowly lifted his gaze towards her but he didn't really look into her eyes. Haruhi cupped his face with her free hand and stroked it lightly. "Takashi," she started, "I never had someone who cared so much for me apart from my Dad. Then you came along into my life," she whispered softly and continued, "At first I thought that the feelings I had for you from the beginning were strange and uncommon even, but later on I realized that I cared for you, more than just a friend."

Takashi gazed into her eyes then and listened intently while his heart was beating so loudly inside his rib cage, "You were always there when I needed you, and you always appeared from nowhere to save me when I fell or when I was hurt," she took a deep breath before saying, "Morinozuka Takashi," she gazed into his eyes intensely, the love she felt inside for him were portrayed in her warm chocolate brown eyes, "I love you too," and with that she gave him one of her most genuine smiles that she never showed anyone else before lightly kissing him on his lips.

---

**Author's note:**

**Yay! Yay! Yay! *dances around* They finally confessed to each other! I am so happy for them ^^**

**Suggestions are welcomed and reviews are highly appreciated.**

**P.S.**

**Do join the above RP site above but I won't force you. We currently have 4 members, myself included. If you like role-playing, then please, do join! XD**

**---**

Sumimasen – excuse me


	21. Overreacting

**Author's notes:**

…**Hi. I'M SO SORRY I TOOK TOO LONG TO UPDATE THE NEXT CHAPTER! I got… distracted with something. Okay fine! I got carried away with the Ouran Private High School RP site for the past few days… ^^ it's just a freaking awesome site with freaking awesome people XD**

**If you wanna join, you can go to my profile here and look under my homepage, it will take you directly to the RP site. And we need a Hikaru, because Kaoru is getting 'lonely' without the other twin. XD**

**Anywayyyy, there are more than twenty reviews for the previous chapter! You guys are awesome! *gives out hugs to all***

**To Annonymous and Brandon, thank you for your suggestions! I'll include them in the future chapters, so be sure to check them out soon ^^ and Brandon dear, your email address didn't show up on the review page because I think fanfic doesn't allow it to show up. *smiles sweetly***

**One more thing, *takes maple syrup from dragonite462* thank you!! XD**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Ouran HSHC or its characters~ Enjoy this chapter, and I'm sorry for any OOC-ness.**

**---**

**Chapter 20 – Over-reacting**

**---**

After the thunderstorm ended, Mitsukuni walked into their bedroom quietly and closed the door with a soft click. He saw Haruhi and Takashi were snuggling together on her bed, her back to Takashi's chest. He smiled widely, happy for his two close friends now that they were together at last. He let out a small yawn and rubbed his eyes with one fist, it was getting late already. He went over to his bed and retrieved Usa-chan before climbing onto Haruhi's bed and snuggled next to her other side. A few seconds later, sleep enveloped him.

---

…_**The Next Morning…**_

The bedroom was lit brightly with the sunlight and Haruhi was still comfortably snuggled against Takashi, she didn't want to wake up, and she wanted to stay like this forever. Takashi's arm tightened around her waist a little, he didn't want to wake up too. He took a peek and saw Mitsukuni snuggled closed at Haruhi's other side and smiled, then he closed his eyes again and went back to sleep.

In the midst of comfortable silence, a screech suddenly erupted inside their bedroom. Wait, make that _**two loud**_ screeches. Haruhi bolted upright on her bed and instantly Takashi did the same, his hands held protectively around her. They both looked at Mitsukuni who stirred slightly in his sleep due to the sudden intrusion.

Takashi lifted his gaze to the intruders while Haruhi was gently patting Mitsukuni's head, lulling him back to sleep. Mouths gaping in total shock and two pairs of violet and golden eyes filled with endless jealousy and fury stood by the doorway of their bedroom, while the other set of golden eyes was calm. Hikaru's body was trembling with anger and possessiveness; he clenched his fists tightly by his sides and narrowed his eyes towards Takashi. Tamaki was angry too, his precious daughter Haruhi was _violated._

"Get your fucking filthy hands off of her," Hikaru warned dangerously towards Takashi, he was determined to do anything to get Haruhi away from the senior.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki intervened, "What did he do to you last night?!" he demanded, "Did he… Did Mori-senpai… violate you?" he whispered, fear was shown in his violet eyes, a stupid unnecessary fear.

Takashi's expression remained stoic but he loosened his hold around Haruhi, he didn't want anyone to get hurt, they were still his friends after all but that fact was probably gonna change soon. But if they tried to hurt her instead, he would protect her and fight them back without getting them killed of course.

After much attempt in trying to ignore the sudden intrusion, Haruhi turned her gaze towards them with her eyes narrowed dangerously. She frowned when she felt Takashi's hold around her loosened, she looked up into his eyes and he gazed back, understanding crossed her mind as he explained silently why he had to loosen his hold. But she didn't like it because somehow it didn't feel right. She placed her arms on top of his, telling him that it was okay, that he didn't have to do that just because they knew, besides, it was her choice. They had no rights over her. Period.

"Hikaru," she started, her voice was calm and clear, "Don't talk to Takashi like that. He's still your senior. Respect him," she glared slightly and added, "If you're going to fight with Takashi, then you have to go through me first," she said with a slightly angry tone, she felt Takashi's hold on her tightened. She knew he was rather protective over this but she wasn't going to let Hikaru hurt Takashi. Ever.

"Respect him?" Hikaru asked skeptically, "_Respect him?_" he said it again a little louder than before. "Why the hell should I respect such a _lowly bastard_ like him when we saw what he did to you?" he added, he almost sounded… slightly mental. "Did you think, after seeing all that that I am going to continue _respecting_ him?" he whispered but loud enough for everyone to hear. Kaoru listened silently; his eyes were casted downwards as his brother was starting to lose it.

"Care to explain to me what Takashi did exactly?" she asked, she snapped slightly.

"He was holding you like he… he… _wanted you_," Hikaru replied, his golden eyes were slightly crazed. "I'm not going to let him do that to you, even if it means that I should fight him," he added determinedly.

"Hikaru, you're over-reacting," Haruhi snapped, "Even if you fight Takashi just because of an unreasonable matter, you stood no chance against him."

Takashi didn't say anything at all but his mind was chaotic. Mitsukuni was actually awake by then; he was listening through the whole conversation. He didn't interfere though; he knew Haruhi or Takashi wouldn't let him.

"Over-reacting?" Hikaru chuckled humorlessly, "Unreasonable matter? Don't you even care what's going to happen to you if he laid his hands on you?"

"That's none of your business Hikaru," she warned.

"A despica—" Hikaru started again but was soon cut off.

*SLAP!*

Haruhi's palm came into hard contact with Hikaru's cheek; that was the second time she slapped him (the first was when he insulted Haruhi's friend, Arai). "Don't you _dare_ insult him any longer; I will not tolerate with you anymore if you continued insulting Takashi," she warned. This was way out of line.

"This is not your decision to make Hikaru," she said as she glared into his golden eyes, "It's _my_ choice who I want to date, it's _my_ decision to make," she said in finality.

Hikaru kept his gaze downwards after being slapped by Haruhi, his golden eyes glistened but they didn't tear up, his face was flushed with anger and frustration.

Then she turned her head towards Tamaki's direction. "Tamaki-senpai," she started again, "Your imaginations are too wild, what the hell made you think that Takashi violated me?" she glared and he flew straight to his dark corner of woe, inside their bedroom, for being yelled at by his 'daughter'. "If you want to be all emo, go someplace else Senpai," she said as calm as possible but her anger was still evident.

Seeing Kaoru didn't say a thing, she probably knew that he had already figured it out since Kaoru had a more rational and mature thought than Hikaru, even though he's the younger twin. The twins and Tamaki left Haruhi's room, dejected and frustrated but one remained calm.

Tamaki went to woe in his and Kyouya's shared bathroom because he didn't want to wake the demon lord up after what happened yesterday. He sat quietly in his dark corner and began to grow a mushroom farm; a dark gloomy cloud hovered above his head.

The twins went back to their bedroom, Hikaru plopped himself on their bed angrily and lowered his gaze to the floor, his bangs covered his hurtful eyes.

"You got pretty heated there," Kaoru said as he plopped himself gently beside his brother, "Going through puberty?" he teased lightly, he was trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Hikaru gave him a side glance, "You were pissed, too," he muttered.

"I believe I was more rational than you were, Hikaru," he said gently, "I'm _always_ more rational that you'll ever be," he emphasized. Hikaru lowered his gaze to the floor again; his body slumped forward a little.

"Forcing your own selfish feelings onto others like that," he continued, "that's like a kid's behavior," he said and smiled at his brother.

"You said this before," Hikaru muttered but didn't look at his brother, "When I… insulted Arai back in Karuizawa…" he trailed off.

After a few moments of silence, Kaoru finally replied, "I did," he said and gazed up at the ceiling, "You should know what I'm going to say next, right?" Kaoru knew Hikaru knew what the next thing he was going say.

When Hikaru didn't reply, Kaoru answered for him instead, "Even Haruhi would get sick of it," he muttered softly, eyes closed, "But this time," he added, "This time, it would probably make it harder for Haruhi… to forgive you," he said quietly.

The room fell silent for a while.

"I can't help it…" Hikaru finally broke the silence off because he was getting too agitated with the awkward tension lingering in the air.

"Because…?" Kaoru trailed off at the end, he wanted his brother to tell him the truth already although he already knew it.

Hikaru stayed silent for a very long time, every second passed seemed like an hour. But Kaoru waited patiently for his brother's answer, he knew Hikaru would find it difficult to answer what he just asked.

"Because…" Hikaru started, his golden eyes were still directed to the floor, "I love her," he muttered and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. Even though it pains Kaoru to hear that, not just because he was in love with Haruhi too but also Hikaru found someone else, other than Kaoru, to love; he was like the jealous twin. Kaoru nodded and smiled at Hikaru, "Yes you do," he said and got up from the bed.

They were silent for a moment. "I'm not gonna give her up," Hikaru muttered lowly and lay on his bed, with one arm, acting as a pillow, placed underneath his head. He stared at the ceiling for a very long time.

Kaoru heard what Hikaru said, '_He's never gonna let them be happy together, isn't he?_' he sighed inwardly. "I'm gonna leave you to your thoughts while I go apologize to Haruhi because of the earlier intrusion we did," with that said, Kaoru walked out from their bedroom and went to find Haruhi.

---

There was a soft knock on the third bedroom's door, if one didn't pay attention enough, they wouldn't be able to hear it clearly. Luckily, all the occupants in that bedroom were observant and noiseless people (except for Mitsukuni when he's all happy and stuff…), they looked at each other, wondering who that might be.

Mitsukuni got up from his seat between Takashi and Haruhi, and walked over to the door, calling out, "Just a minute~" while Takashi and Haruhi were currently enjoying a cup of tea and a few cakes sent by one of the maids earlier upon their request. Mitsukuni opened the door and gazed up at the person standing outside their doorway. "Ah, Kao-chan!" he said loud and clear so the other two would be able to hear it too, his caramel eyes were huge and sparkly; he was evidently delighted with something.

Haruhi and Takashi exchanged glances before glancing over at their small friend at the door.

"Hey, Hani-senpai, morning," they heard Kaoru say, Takashi detected a hint of nervousness in his tone. "Can I come in for a minute? I need to talk to Haruhi and Mori-senpai about something," he added.

Mitsukuni stared at Haruhi and Takashi, wondering if they wanted to see Kaoru or not. After a moment of thought, they nodded together at the short blonde to allow Kaoru in. "Sure~! Come on in Kao-chan!" he said and made a bee-line towards the lounge area before plopping down on his seat and continued eating his cakes as if he wasn't interrupted just now.

Kaoru walked inside their bedroom and closed the door behind him quietly. He made his way to the lounge area where they sat and once there, he chose to sit next to Haruhi. He didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then, he looked at Takashi then at Haruhi. "I'm sorry for the earlier intrusion this morning," he said seriously and bowed to them slightly in apology. He looked up at Takashi, "I'm sorry Hikaru said those things about you, Mori-senpai," he said sincerely. "He shouldn't have said that to you," he added and chuckled sadly, "Hikaru always gets angry irrationally."

"Hn," Takashi grunted, "That's just how Hikaru is," he added.

"That's okay Kaoru," Haruhi said and looked at him, "at least you're level-headed," she added and gave him a smile. Kaoru smiled at her. "I'm not gonna be mad at you though since I know you wouldn't do such a thing," Haruhi added.

Kaoru chuckled softly, "Of course not!" he said and laughed, "I just want you to be happy, that's it. If being with Mori-senpai makes you happy, then you have my blessings," he said sincerely. "I'll deal with Hikaru, so don't worry about him."

"I _am_ happy being with Takashi," she replied, her brown eyes twinkled in happiness. "And thank you Kaoru," she said and took his hand nearest to her and squeezed it lightly before letting it go.

"Kao-chan! Kao-chan!" Mitsukuni called, "Do you want some cake?" he asked and held out a plate of chocolate fudge cake in his small hands.

"Sure, Hani-senpai," he said and took the cake from him, "Thank you,"

The morning went on as they conversed together while enjoying the cakes and tea. Meanwhile, Tamaki and Hikaru were plotting plans to separate the two from being together. I bet these plans of theirs would probably involve stupid things and would no doubt, _fail._

---

**Author's note:**

**Crappy chapter, I know. I think my muse is gone *panics & starts to search for a new muse* but no worries! I'll make the next chapters exciting, I think. And oh, from now on, I'll be updating once a week.**

**Suggestions are welcomed. Reviews are appreciated. Bye bye~!**


	22. Persistence

**Author's note!**

_**Toya1255**_** – that is by far, the longest review I have ever read! *is very happy* and thank you for loving the story! XD & one more thing, Haruhi will meet Takashi's Mother, but that will be set in the future once they dated for six months or longer ^^ So, don't worry, that will happen. I plan to make it happen though. XD**

_**Annonymous**_** – I'll use one of your suggestions in this chapter, the other suggestion will be used in the future chapters. Oh yes, there's bound to be more problems than Haruhi and Takashi expected, coming from those two delinquents. XD**

**Thank you so much for the reviews guys! You don't know how much that made me happy XD**

**Disclaimer – I do not own any of the OHSHC characters apart from the ones I made.**

_**This chapter is dedicated to Annonymous.**_

---

**Chapter 21 – Persistence **

---

The day went on as if nothing ever happened earlier this morning, well except for the occasional glares Hikaru sent Takashi, Tamaki's depression for being yelled at by his precious 'daughter', Kaoru's worried side-glances towards his brother and Haruhi's ignorance towards the whole ordeal.

All the host club members were currently having their brunch at the patio of Kyouya's mansion. The table was laden with various foods ranging from croissants to toasts with any desired high-quality jams to high-class scrambled eggs to strawberry cheesecakes for our dearest loli-shota boy to pancakes made with the finest quality of ingredients. The drinks consisted of a brewed hot cup of black coffee with high-quality coffee beans imported from Mexico (for Kyouya), a brewed hot cup of tea with high-quality tea leaves imported from Africa (for Takashi), two fresh squeezed orange juice with oranges imported from New Zealand (for Haruhi and Mitsukuni), two cups of warm milk tea brewed with the same imported African tea leaves (for the twins) and a cup of commoner's instant coffee (for the Host King, Tamaki).

"I propose a plan for today!" Tamaki started dramatically in the midst of scooping a spoonful of scrambled eggs.

Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to continue. The twins wore bored expressions on their faces, Haruhi wore a blank expression, and Mitsukuni was all happy and excited as little pink flowers danced around his head while Takashi and Kyouya wore their stoic masks; Kyouya's eyes were hidden behind the glare of his glasses.

"Let's play a game!"

"What game, Tono?" Hikaru asked, this seemed to perk his interest since he was still in a bad mood from earlier.

"A game of commoner's hide-and-seek! It'll take place anywhere on this beach~!" Tamaki added excitedly, eyes shone brightly. "Mori-senpai, you shall be 'it'! The rest of us will go hide somewhere on the beach," he explained, "then you have to find us~!"

Takashi looked up from his breakfast and nodded in reply to Tamaki's request, "Ah."

"Why does Takashi has to be 'it'?" Mitsukuni asked in wonder as he tilted his head slightly to the side. "Why can't you be 'it' Tama-chan?" he added and put one finger to his lips while staring at the blonde kohai questioningly.

"Well, Hani-senpai," Tamaki started, "If I was 'it', then it wouldn't seem fair now, would it? Since Mori-senpai did not object as to being 'it', then I don't see anything wrong with that," he said and smiled dazzlingly at his senpai.

Mitsukuni nodded slowly as he digested Tamaki's explanation. "Okay~! I guess you're right, Tama-chan," he said and scooped another spoonful of cake before shoveling it into his mouth.

"Then we shall start the game after our brunch~!" Tamaki said dramatically, complete with hand gestures.

Haruhi had an uneasy feeling developing in the pit of her stomach, somehow, she knew something was about to go wrong during this game. She just knew it; it was like a girl's intuition or something.

Takashi noticed Haruhi's uneasiness and gave her a side-glance, "Haruhi," he muttered lowly so she was the only one who could hear it. His right hand was holding the tea cup while the other was placed on his thigh.

Haruhi gave him a side-glance and smiled softly, telling him that she was okay. _Lies_. Haruhi knew Takashi knew that she was lying, but decided to do this for her own benefit. Yes, she loves him but she didn't want to rely on him with things like her girl's intuition, like something bad was going to happen. Maybe it was just a phase; it will be gone as soon as she thinks of something else. Takashi only nodded slightly but his gray eyes were filled with worry although his stoic mask was on. Haruhi saw that he was worried and took his left hand in her right hand; she squeezed it lightly, reassuring him in a way.

Little did they know that Tamaki was up to something with this game of theirs…

---

"Okay everyone~!" Tamaki shouted, "You can hide anywhere you want, but it has to be on this beach or the mansion. Mori-senpai, you can go to that coconut tree over there," Tamaki pointed with his index finger, "and start your counting," he added. Takashi walked over to the said coconut tree and faced the trunk while placing one arm over his eyes, so he wouldn't be able to peek. He started counting.

Hikaru, Kaoru, Kyouya and Mitsukuni bounded off to different directions in search for a place to hide; yes, Kyouya was also joining in on the game, surprise no? Haruhi stood in the middle of the sand for a while before deciding where to hide. Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the other side of the beach. She was absolutely surprised and looked at the person who grabbed her, "Senpai?!" she shouted, "Where are you taking me?"

"Shh Haruhi, or Mori-senpai will figure out where we're going to hide. And as your Daddy, I have the rights to hide with my own daughter," he whispered loud enough for her to hear, "I found the perfect place too, no one will be able to find us there," Tamaki added and chuckled slightly.

Haruhi narrowed her eyes suspiciously, that uneasy feeling came back again in the pit of her stomach. '_Ugh, what is up with this feeling I'm having?!_' she whined mentally.

They walked what seemed like an eternity when it was actually five minutes. Haruhi had never been to this part of the beach before, it was really… secluded. No one would be able to find them here. The entire area was covered with trees and more trees. She scolded herself for not exploring the whole beach. Tamaki led them to this really worn out looking shack, "See my daughter? No one will be able to find us here~! Daddy has found a really good hiding place for us~!" he said happily and opened the door of the shack.

Haruhi wore a bored and blank expression. Her mask was up; that uneasy feeling she had earlier seemed to multiply in volume when Tamaki closed the door behind them. She opted to sit in one of the corners, away from Tamaki if possible. She didn't like this, not one bit. Sure Tamaki must be having fun with all this crap of commoner's games, she'll play along just to make him happy, since he or the rest of the members didn't play much during their childhood; they were too busy living up to their parents' expectations. Such as Kyouya for example, but that's another story to tell.

Tamaki sat down beside her, their arms almost brushing together due to the cramp space inside the shack.

"Haruhi," Tamaki started, his tone for once was serious, "Do you… love Mori-senpai?" he asked hesitantly, but he had to do so, he had to know from her. This is what he was planning to do from the start, he wanted to interrogate her.

"Why are you asking me that all of a sudden, Senpai?" she replied in a blunt manner.

"Please, just answer my question," he said, almost pleading.

"Well…" she started, "Yes, I do. I love Takashi," she added confidently.

"Since when?" Tamaki asked again, he was hurt but curious at the same time.

"I don't know… It just… happened," she said and shrugged lightly before hugging her knees to her chest and placed her chin on top of her knees.

"But how?" he prodded again, almost forcing her to give out her answers.

"Probably from spending so much time together, we usually do that after host club activities ended. Sometimes, he would come by the apartment and Mitsukuni would tag along too," she explained and shrugged again, focusing her attention to a dust bunny slowly accumulating at the opposite corner.

'_They've been spending so much time together before, huh?_' Tamaki wondered to himself, '_But why would she pick Mori-senpai over me? I always thought that we were the ones, who would end up together in the end…_'

"What makes you think that, Senpai?" Haruhi asked, her tone was _a little bit_ dangerous.

"What made me think what Haruhi?" he asked confusedly, his bangs moved slightly as he tilted his head to look at her.

"You said, out loud, that you always thought _we_ were the ones who would end up _together_ in the end," she hissed through her teeth, "What makes you think that?" she repeated her earlier question. She looked like an angry little kitten. Purr~

"W-Well, I always thought so since you joined the host club," he stammered, "Isn't a Dad supposed to be with his daughter in the end? "

"You were the last one to figure out that I was a girl when the others already knew and for the umpteenth time, I am not your daughter Senpai!" she said calmly but her anger was starting to show. "_My_ Dad is still alive and healthy. And. You. Are. _Not._ My. Dad!" she broke down her sentence into single words so Tamaki could very understand it clearly.

"But you said I am!" Tamaki replied, bewildered.

"No I did not, I very clearly said that you are _like_ my Dad, that your behavior is _similar_ to my Dad's. I didn't say that you're my Dad! You always get the wrong ideas because you never listened to what people say to you! You tend to be delusional and twisted the words people say so it could fit with your meanings!" she glared at him by this point.

"If I'm not your Dad, then why do I feel hurt when you're with other boys? Why do I want to see you wear dresses so badly? Why do I think that you're cute when you're thinking of something or when you wear the dresses those twin devils designed for you? Isn't that how a Dad supposed to feel for his daughter?" he asked her, each question seemed to confuse him even more.

Haruhi sighed heavily, "Again, with the Dad-and-Daughter theory. Senpai," she said and looked at him straight in the eyes, "If you keep on being in this family illusion of yours just because you didn't have one with your real family, then nothing good will come out of it. You're the only one who wanted this family charade to go on, the others just played along so you wouldn't feel lonely," she stated bluntly. It would hurt the Host King, but it was the truth.

Right now, Tamaki is in another corner with a dark looming cloud above his head and mushrooms started to sprout from his shoulders. The words Haruhi just said stabbed him so much and he went all emo. (**a/n: *smirks***)

---

Takashi ventured through the beach area in search of the others. Firstly, he went to the mansion because his instincts told him that his cousin was hiding there, he went to their bedroom on the third floor and opened the door to the walk-in wardrobe and there was the loli-shota sitting in the middle, munching happily on a piece of cake.

"Yay~! Takashi found me!" he giggled and stood up from the floor, "Have you found the others yet?" he asked while holding onto Usa-chan in his tiny hands.

"Hn," Takashi replied and shook his head slightly.

"Let's go find them~!" Mitsukuni shouted happily.

---

After a while, Haruhi got bored with the game. She leaned against the wall and laid her legs down to the floor. All this time, Tamaki was still sulking and was deeply hurt by Haruhi's words.

"Haruhi," he spoke out again as he poked onto a mushroom with his index finger.

"What is it, Senpai?" she replied, she was slightly irritated with his behavior and the earlier thing that happened.

"If you… and I spent time together as much as you did with Mori-senpai, would we have a chance to be together?"

---

"Hikaru, Kaoru," Takashi said in his monotone voice and stared down at them. They were hiding behind a huge boulder at the far end of the beach.

"Aw! Mori-senpai! You found us!" Kaoru whined, "How'd you do that?" he asked curiously.

"Trails," Takashi simply said and pointed at some trails on the sand.

"Damn, I knew I should have erased them," Hikaru muttered. If you're wondering whether he's still angry at Takashi or not, the answer is yes, he was still angry at Takashi for taking advantage of Haruhi.

"Now to find Kyo-chan! I wonder where he could be~" Mitsukuni squealed in excitement and ran off at the opposite direction. Takashi followed him while the twins tagged along from behind.

---

"Would we have a chance to be together…?" Tamaki asked again and peeked at her from his shoulder.

"…No," she replied after a moment of thought.

"Why not?!" he asked, he was slightly angry now. "How come Mori-senpai can but I couldn't?! That's not fair Haruhi!" He got up from his corner and stomped towards her. He was angry and he wanted answers. _Now_.

Haruhi lifted an eyebrow questioningly while staring at him straight in the eyes and answered his question, "I just don't feel that way about you Senpai," she said bluntly and stood up slowly.

---

Kyouya was currently hiding in a cave; he was sitting on top of a flat, jagged boulder with his trustworthy notebook in one hand. He ran his fingers through his raven hair and sighed, "Why did I join in this childish game again?" he muttered to himself, and then he heard a noise nearby like feet shuffling towards his direction.

"Ah Mori-senpai," he looked up and greeted his senpai, "Took you long enough to find me, I was about to get out of this place," he smirked lightly before jumping down the boulder and walking towards Takashi's direction.

"Ah," he simply replied and began to walk out of the cave with the others.

"Now all we have to find is Haru-chan and Tama-chan," Mitsukuni pondered, "Do you know where they're hiding Takashi?" he asked his tall cousin.

Takashi shook his head, there was an uneasy feeling developing in the back of his mind but he didn't want to think much of it. What if it turned out to be nothing? But most of the times, his instincts were true. He took long strides to find his girl and the blonde kohai. _His girl…_ Takashi smiled fondly when he thought of Haruhi that way.

---

"Why not?!" he nearly shouted at her and shook her slightly by the shoulders, his fingers dug deep into her shoulders and it hurt her.

"I just don't see you that way Senpai," she said calmly while holding back the pain he inflicted to her shoulders. "Please, let go of me," she added.

"No! I will not let go of you until I have a good enough reason as to why you don't see me that way!"

'_He is so persistent, where is Takashi…? What's taking him so long…?_' she thought mentally, worry began to show in her eyes. She has never seen this side of Tamaki before and she didn't really want to find out.

"Haruhi, look at me," he said softly, his voice changed instantly, "Tell me the truth, do you not feel the same way as I do to you?" he murmured and cupped her face with his hands. He gazed at her lovingly, all the love he felt for her were shown through his eyes. He leaned in closer slowly and kissed her softly on the lips, he was being very gentle.

Haruhi was shock with Tamaki's bold move. She pushed him away, hard, and Tamaki staggered back a little. "How dare you!" she glowered and glared at him. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and attempted to go out from the shack.

Tamaki blocked the door, preventing her from going out. "Haruhi, please, think about it," he pleaded softly; "Wouldn't it be better if you were to be with me instead? Everyone wouldn't argue over our relationship, unlike yours and Mori-senpai's,"

"I will not think about it!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, "It's my decision to make Senpai, and you have no rights to decide who I should be with!"

"Daddy will not allow his daughter to have such a relationship in this family!" he shouted back, he ran out of ideas to say and it seemed like that was the most appropriate thing to say, wasn't it? Bad move, Tamaki. Bad move.

"AGAIN WITH THE FAMILY CHARADE! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I AM _NOT_ YOUR DAUGHTER, SENPAI?!" she yelled to his face. "AND I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT! YOU DON'T ALLOW _ME_ TO HAVE A _RELATIONSHIP_?! WHO THE _HELL_ DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" she was fuming with so much anger, she felt like she wanted to hit some sense in the idiot standing in front of her.

Tamaki staggered a little, who knew such a small girl could have such a loud voice?

"I-I will not allow it, I just c-can't," he whispered, fear shown in his violet eyes.

"Senpai please, don't be difficult," Haruhi begged, "Why can't you just be happy for me and Takashi? Why must you involve all this family charade of yours?" she said, too tired to even continue arguing with him. She saw no point in doing so.

"We were supposed to be together in the end," he muttered to himself while raking his fingers through his wavy blonde hair, "If it means for me to take you away from him, then I would," he said determinedly and gazed at Haruhi. He started to stalk off towards her.

Haruhi saw the determined look in his eyes and she could not help but fear for the worse. '_Takashi… Where are you? What's taking you so long?_'

"Daughters are supposed to be with their F-" he started again but was soon interrupted with a…

CRASH!

The door to the shack was crashed from the outside by Takashi, he was _very_ angry. He heard what Tamaki just said and he didn't like it one bit. He took long strides towards Haruhi and faced Tamaki who was currently dazed with the sudden intrusion. Takashi shielded her from the blonde kohai and Haruhi grasped onto his shirt tightly, burying her face to his back. "What took you so long…?" she muttered.

_It took Takashi nearly an hour to find his girl and Tamaki all over the place. Then Mitsukuni pointed out to a secluded forest at the back side of the beach and there was a wooden worn-out shack there. It was the perfect ideal spot to hide since nobody would ever think to even go there. His instincts told him that Haruhi was in there along with Tamaki. As soon as he neared the shack, he heard shouting inside. He stopped in his tracks to listen, the others did the same. Mitsukuni was frowning and it seemed like he was concentrating on something. The twins glanced at each other questioningly. Kyouya was amused. Takashi was… angry._

"_Mine,_" Takashi growled and held Haruhi protectively and possessively with his strong arms. Haruhi placed her arms around Takashi's waist and buried her face to his chest. "Why can't you be happy for us?" he demanded.

"I-I won't let you have her-" Tamaki nearly shouted but was soon cut off. There was a soft thud before he landed to the dusty floor. Mitsukuni had knocked him unconscious.

The little blonde boy skipped towards Takashi and Haruhi. "Haru-chan, you okay?" he asked concernedly and gazed up at the brunette girl. Haruhi only nodded slightly in reply. She was too tired now to even speak. Her argument with Tamaki earlier was a waste of time and breath. She slid downwards limply and Takashi swiftly lifted her in his arms, bridal style. Haruhi placed her head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. Mitsukuni was getting worried, she looked weaker compared to this morning. The twins just stared at the event that unfolded itself in front of them, while Kyouya's eyes were hidden behind the glare of his glasses.

Takashi, with Haruhi in his arms, and Mitsukuni who was following beside him, made their way back to the mansion. The twins looked on and shrugged, but that gave Hikaru some vague idea on what would happen if he tried to interfere with their relationship. But he's not going to give her up, yet. It's too early to give up now, what if he had a chance in this? He went to wonder to his own thoughts and trying to come up with ways to get Haruhi to be alone.

Kyouya stared down at the unconscious Tamaki on the floor, "Now you realized you loved her," he muttered, "Baka Tamaki."

"Hikaru, Kaoru, please carry Tamaki back to the mansion," he requested, his tone left no rooms to argue. The twins looked at each other and shrugged, they began to lift Tamaki by placing his arms over their shoulders; his feet were dragging on the floor as they made their way back to the mansion.

---

Back inside their bedroom, Takashi placed Haruhi gently on her bed and Mitsukuni placed Usa-chan beside her before bouncing off towards the lounge area to eat the prepared cakes. Takashi tucked her in and knelt on the left side of her bed, holding one of her hands in his large ones. He began making circular motions with his thumb to soothe her to sleep.

"I'm sorry for not being there earlier," he whispered to her and placed soft feathery kisses to her hand.

"Takashi," she said softly, "I don't blame you, it's not your fault," she added and traced her left fingers to his right cheekbone. "It's just that Tamaki-senpai was being persistent and I was too tired to argue with him, he even kissed me and that caught me off guard so I pushed him away,"

Takashi's gray eyes began to glare at something invisible. Jealousy and anger began to mix together. But he calmed himself down from doing irrational things.

"I'll protect you next time, I promise," he swore.

"I appreciate that but I'm hoping," she said and gazed into his eyes, "that you could teach me martial arts or Kendo," she added and gave him a smile.

Takashi looked at her for a moment before planting a kiss to her forehead, "Not a bad idea," he said and smirked lightly. "Now sleep, _hime_."

Haruhi nodded lightly and drifted off into her dreams.

---

**Author's notes!**

_**NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A GIRL'S INTUITION. **_

**Tamaki is very persistent, isn't he? And yay! Haruhi will learn martial arts soon~! And Hikaru will come up with his own ideas. *sighs* Why can't they just let her and Taka-kun be happy?**

**Suggestions are welcomed. Reviews are appreciated. Bye bye~**

**If you have the time, visit this website and lets role-play together XD**

**http : // morinozuka . proboards . com / index . cgi?**

**Get rid of the spaces!**

**---**

Kohai – junior

Baka – idiot


	23. Endless Stupidity

**Author's note!**

**I know I said I'll update once a week, but things were getting hectic at home for the past week. Plus, I had writers' block when I was writing this chapter. T_T**

**So anyway, thank you so much for the reviews guys! There are new reviewers too, I'm glad you took the time to review this story. And I feel honored as well as humbled by your positive comments. Your reviews make me want to jump up and down in joy~ XD**

**Thank you to those who put this story on alert and make it into your favorite list ^^**

**And thank you also for the suggestions ^^ hopefully, I am able to include those in the future chapters.**

**Disclaimer****: Ouran will never be mine, because... I don't have the money to buy the rights. ^^**

**---x---**

**Chapter 22 – Endless Stupidity**

**---x---**

It was in the middle of the night when Haruhi woke up from her sleep, she felt a soft small lump beside her, shifting her gaze to the object, she noticed that it was Usa-chan. She smiled at the pink stuffed bunny before picking it up. She still felt exhausted from Tamaki's hide-and-seek game and her anger subsided when she was asleep but now, it seemed like the anger she felt towards that blonde idiot came back again. '_Stupid Tamaki… Who the hell does he think he is? My Dad? Pfft. If he lays a finger on me again, I swear to God I'll kick him senseless…_' she thought maliciously while getting up from her bed slowly.

She looked to her right, noticing that Takashi and Mitsukuni were asleep peacefully. Her throat felt dry all of a sudden, so she got up, deciding that she wanted something to drink, and she walked over to Mitsukuni's bed and tucked the pink bunny under his small arms (he didn't stir in his sleep) before walking towards the door, and then silently got out from the bedroom, without awakening Takashi or Mitsukuni.

The hallways were dark, but soft lights illuminated from the walls. She placed her fingers to the wall and started tracing along, feeling her way as she walked along the lush carpet underneath her bare feet, avoiding any furniture along the way. Once she reached the grand staircase, she descended down slowly so she could get to the kitchen. No one was awake at that moment, the air was silent, and you could almost hear Haruhi's even breathing.

She made her way to the kitchen and switched on the lights by the doorway. The kitchen was instantly lit in bright white light; Haruhi had to blink several times to adjust the brightness to her eyes. She went over to the fridge and took out a jug of milk, '_I bet this is expensive and of the highest quality_,' she thought silently before muttering, '_rich bastards…_' in her mind. Looking around the kitchen for an empty glass, she found none. '_Where do they keep the glasses anyway?_' She placed the jug of milk down at the counter before proceeding towards the shelves.

She opened the one nearest her and found a lot of spices ranging from cumin, turmeric, to hot pepper. She opened the next one and found jars of different types of sugar and flour. She sighed heavily before starting to look somewhere else. She went over to the counter and found that it had drawers, so she opened them, but instead of glasses, she found different sizes of spoons, spatulas, measuring cups and bowls. Her left eye began to twitch irritably before she closed the drawer.

"Where in God's name are the glasses?" she muttered in frustration before walking off towards a see-through cabinet and spotted the glasses. Her lips turned to a triumphant smile and she took out a rather tall glass from the cabinet. She went over to the counter and poured the milk into the glass.

"That should do it," she muttered happily, as she quenched her thirst with the last drop of milk from her glass. She went over to the kitchen sink to wash her glass clean, but before she could even turn the tap on, a hand with a handkerchief flew to her mouth and nose area, muffling her screams of protest. In a matter of seconds, her struggling body went limped due to the drug-coated handkerchief.

Before she completely passed out, the perpetrator said something to her and Haruhi instantly knew who that was. "I'm sorry Haruhi," he muttered near her ear, "But I had to do it even though my actions are stupid," he chuckled humorlessly before dragging her body to the front door, then into the waiting limo. The Hitachiin's driver didn't say a word, nor did he want to know what the young master was up to.

"Drive," Hikaru instructed once he closed the door. The driver nodded silently and steered the limo from the driveway.

**---x---**

Takashi woke up and blinked his eyes several times to adjust to the darkness; he would usually wake up around this time to check up on his cousin and Haruhi. He glanced to his right, seeing that Mitsukuni was peacefully sleeping with Usa-chan tucked under his arm. That made him slightly confused; the last time he remembered was that Usa-chan was with Haruhi. How did the pink stuffed bunny get there? Haruhi must've had woken up earlier to tuck the bunny back to its rightful owner.

The thought of his object of affection made him turn his head to his left, but he blinked once, twice, seeing that the occupant was not there. '_Where did Haruhi go?_' he thought, just slightly panicked due to years of self-disciplinary practice to have a clear and rational mind when a situation like this happened.

'_Calm down, Takashi_,' he instructed in his mind, '_she's probably in the bathroom or something_,' with that said, he quietly got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom to confirm his thoughts. But he soon found out that no one was in there since the bathroom lights were switched off. He frowned and was deep in thought. He decided to go downstairs then to see whether she was there.

The hallways were quiet and dark, illuminated only by the soft glow coming from the walls. He could clearly see well once his eyes were adjusted to the darkness. His feet padded softly against the carpeted floor. There were no maids in sight, but that didn't really surprise him since he knew they were probably sleeping at their quarters.

He descended the grand staircase swiftly and quietly, the only sounds coming from the swishing of his sweatpants (**a/n**: if you're wondering whether Takashi is shirtless, the answer is yes ^^). Once at the ground floor, he noticed that the kitchen's light was on. He made his way there and searched the whole room, but found no one was inside. '_Odd…_' he thought silently. He went over to the kitchen sink and found an empty glass, judging from the white liquid, it was milk. '_This is really odd…_' he trailed off in his thoughts, '_I have a _really_ bad feeling about this_,' he added grimly.

Takashi surveyed the whole kitchen again, and he noticed a small surveillance camera rooted at the upper corner. Well, there were several surveillance cameras inside the kitchen now that he surveyed closer.

"Kyouya," he muttered the only one person that could, possibly, help him. He strode off swiftly towards the Shadow King's and the Host King's bedroom.

**---x---**

"Hikaru, what time is it?" Kaoru mumbled in his sleep, his eyes felt heavy and he really didn't want to get up just to see the time. "Hikaru..?" he repeated again when there was no answer. He blinked his eyes and shifted his gaze to his right, "Hikaru?" he said confusedly. He got up slowly and shook his head awake, he looked to his right again and noticed that the space was vacant. "Hikaru!" he nearly shouted and fumbled over the thick quilt, panic laced his voice as his brother was nowhere to be found.

He got up frantically and went to the bathroom; he noticed that something was off. He went over to the white marble sink and a bottle of anesthetic lay exposed with the lid off.

"Hikaru, what are you trying to prove?" Kaoru muttered, disappointedly.

**---x---**

A loud bang on the door woke Kyouya and Tamaki up; the raven-haired boy was a light sleeper and it was on the rare occasions that he got to sleep earlier than 5 a.m., as for Tamaki, he had trouble sleeping from the earlier incident with Haruhi and his neck was still feeling sore from being knocked unconscious.

Being woken up in the middle of the night made the Shadow King irritated, "What is it?!" he barked from his bed and got up swiftly as he strode towards the door. He didn't expect to see his Senpai standing there, with a grim expression on his face and there was something in his eyes… concern? Worry? Whatever it was, Kyouya knew that this visit was important. Why else would it be for his Senpai to wake him up in the middle of the night for?

"Kyouya," Takashi greeted, his mask was up, "I need to see the surveillance cameras' contents for the ones in the kitchen," his fist clenched and unclenched at his side, a sign that told Kyouya he was agitated.

"Certainly, Mori-senpai," Kyouya replied pleasantly, all traces of irritation and anger from being woken up were gone instantly. In the back of his mind, he wondered why his Senpai wanted to see the surveillance contents. Tamaki was confused but he didn't say anything or comment about it.

Kyouya strode gracefully, with a little air of arrogance, to the mahogany table and flipped his laptop opened. He typed in a few keywords, his fingers gliding efficiently on the keyboard while Takashi was hovering behind him. In an instant, the surveillance contents for the kitchen showed up on his laptop's screen.

"May I?" Takashi asked in his monotone voice.

"Of course," Kyouya got up from his seat to let his Senpai do whatever he needed to do.

Takashi studied the videos intently, looking for any clue whatsoever. Then he spotted the brunette girl rummaging through the fridge to get something, and his guess was right, it was milk. He watched her every move because every single thing was vital. He chuckled inwardly as he noticed the irritation on her face when she was searching for something to pour the milk in. She took a glass from the cabinet and finished the milk with a satisfied smirk. Then he watched her went over to the kitchen sink but before she could even turn the tap, a figure, all too familiar in Takashi's eyes, went behind Haruhi and put a handkerchief to her mouth and nose.

Takashi clenched his right fist tightly until his nails dug into his skin; he didn't even notice the thick red liquid oozing out slowly from the wound he made. His jaw was taut and his teeth were clenched together. His steel gray eyes narrowed dangerously at what he just witnessed.

"Hikaru…" he muttered silently, voice coated with the most pure venom anyone has ever heard. Not even Kyouya could match up to his current anger.

Kyouya was watching his laptop screen from behind Takashi, he was… curious to know what agitated the silent man in the middle of the night. He saw Haruhi in the kitchen, pouring a glass of milk. What he saw next shocked him as his eyes went slightly wide, but he kept his cool mask up and then he noticed the blood from Takashi's hand. '_What the hell is that idiot twin doing?_' he wondered silently, '_What the hell does he want with Haruhi? Is he going to do something stupid ala-Tamaki?_'

I bet you're wondering why the Shadow King was, shall we say… concerned? Well, even though he wouldn't admit it, he has a soft spot for Haruhi in his heart, since she was the one who changed the members of the host club with her presence and her never-ending bluntness.

Takashi stood up from the seat and before he strode out of Kyouya and Tamaki's bedroom, he spoke to Kyouya, "Get your private police force and track where Hikaru's taking Haruhi," he said in his monotone voice. Kyouya nodded and went to the bedside table to get his phone so he could make a few calls to his private police force. All this time, Tamaki was getting more and more confused, '_Hikaru? Haruhi? Tracking…?_' his mind was running through those words over and over again. He watched as Takashi walked out of their bedroom.

**---x---**

Haruhi stirred through her consciousness, she felt that she was seated on a leather seat in a moving car. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked, taking in her surroundings. '_Where the hell am I?_' she thought, her head was aching. The last thing she remembered was being put unconscious by somebody and that somebody muttering some words to her. Instantly, she remembered everything that happened in the kitchen as the memories flashed right in front of her. Her eyes were wide opened and she whipped her head to her left, "Hikaru," she muttered dangerously.

"Ah, you're awake," Hikaru replied nervously and shifted his gaze away from Haruhi's intense, full of anger, stare. It felt like a hole was being burn right in the middle of his forehead as Haruhi continued to gaze at him dangerously.

"Where the hell are you taking me?!" she demanded.

"…" Hikaru didn't say a word; he didn't dare to even say anything. He could sense Haruhi's third demon aura was starting to emanate from her small, petite frame.

"Well?!" she demanded again, she narrowed her eyes at the red-head.

Hikaru winced at her tone, "I-I need to t-tell you something," he mumbled, still avoiding her angry gaze.

"Don't you dare mumble your words at me Hikaru," she warned, "Speak up!"

He winced again, who knew that Haruhi could be so… dangerous despite her size. Well, it's too late to turn back now. He inhaled deeply before telling her what he wanted to say. "I need to tell you something," he spoke out clearly, every word precise so Haruhi wouldn't shout at him again. Haruhi glared in return, waiting for him to tell her whatever it was that he wanted to tell her.

"We have arrived, Hikaru-bocchama," the driver announced from up front. The car stopped in front of a large, expensive-looking hotel. The driver opened the back door and Hikaru stepped out of the car, Haruhi didn't budge from her seat and continued to glare at Hikaru. He sighed heavily before poking his head inside the car, "C'mon Haruhi, I'll tell you once we get inside," he said in a bored tone. Haruhi huffed but got out from the car in the end.

Once inside the hotel, Hikaru walked over to the receptionist's desk. The receptionist looked up and greeted the young Hitachiin master with a smile, "Good morning, Hikaru-bocchama," she said in a friendly tone.

"Hn, give me the key to my room on the top most floor," he replied. The receptionist nodded and pulled one of the drawers to retrieve the said key. Once he had the key, Hikaru strode over to the elevator. Haruhi, feeling slightly confused, only followed without a word but she would demand to know what the hell he was thinking about, taking her to the hotel.

**---x---**

Takashi went back to the third floor bedroom to retrieve a few essential things he would need. He opened the door quietly and found that Mitsukuni was still sleeping. He didn't want to wake his little cousin up because he thought that this matter should be settled by him and him alone. Kyouya's private police force was a different matter, he needed them to find Hikaru's location because if he did that himself, it would take a lot more time than he would have liked.

He changed his night clothes to more appropriate ones; he opted to wear a simple, white v-neck t-shirt and a black leather jacket over it. He pulled out his pair of dark denim jeans from the closet and replaced the sweatpants he was wearing with those.

Once he was done changing, he went back outside and closed the door softly behind him. He walked to the staircase in long strides. Kyouya was already waiting at the bottom to inform him of Hikaru and Haruhi's whereabouts. Trust Kyouya to be very efficient.

"Mori-senpai, my men just informed me that Hikaru made a stop at the Sakura Hotel, located twelve miles from here," Kyouya stated formally.

Takashi nodded in reply, "Thank you Kyouya," he added and strode off towards the front door, not even stopping to look back. Tamaki was peering from his bedroom door, wondering what was going on.

As Takashi stepped out to the front porch, he spotted the other red-head twin, Kaoru. Before he could say anything, Kaoru cut him off, "I'm coming," he stated grimly. Takashi just nodded and made his way to the waiting car with Kaoru following close by.

"Where to, Takashi-bocchama?" Denjiro asked. (**a/n**: if you forgot who Denjiro is, he is the Morinozuka's driver, but more to Takashi's personal driver)

"The Sakura Hotel," he stated simply, "And fast." Kaoru stayed silent because he knew which hotel that was.

Denjiro nodded, he didn't ask why his young master wanted to go to a hotel in the middle of the night with a _boy_ nonetheless, so he kept his mouth shut, kept his thoughts to himself and did his duty. He closed the back door when the two boys have finally settled themselves in the car, then went over to the front driver's seat. Once safely buckled, he steered the car from the driveway to the road, then made his way to the said hotel as if there was no tomorrow, he drove like a complete (expert) maniac. Kaoru had to hold on to the door, for fear of Denjiro's reckless driving. Takashi just sat motionless in his seat as he watched the passing blurs outside the window, no doubt having to be used to this sort of driving already.

They arrived at the front of the hotel in twenty-five minutes. "We're here, Takashi-bocchama," Denjiro announced from up front then got out from the car swiftly and opened the back door.

Takashi nodded again and told him to wait here, in which Denjiro only nodded in reply. He watched as the two young masters made their way inside the hotel. His thoughts were running wild but he kept his stoic mask on expertly, just like his young master usually did.

**---x---**

Takashi walked over to the receptionist's area but Kaoru beat him to it. "We need the spare key for my brother's room," he stated casually, but there was a hint of authority in his tone. The woman looked up for a few seconds before retrieving the said spare key to Kaoru, and smiled pleasantly at him. Kaoru winked at her and it made the woman blushed, "Have a good day, Kaoru-bocchama," the woman said. Kaoru nodded in reply and went to the elevator, followed closely by Takashi.

**---x---**

Hikaru leaned sideways casually on the balcony door with a can of soda in his right hand as he gazed out into the starless night. Haruhi sat in one of luxurious, yet comfortable, armchair, waiting for Hikaru to tell her what it was that he wanted to say earlier. But he kept silent, he kept drinking that stupid soda in his hand, he kept stalling time and he kept avoiding her angry gaze that seemed to bore right to the back of his skull. It was now or never.

"Hikaru—" Haruhi started to say but was cut off.

"Ever wonder what it would be like if you and I were together as a couple?" he stated casually while still staring out into the night.

'_Not him too…_' Haruhi groaned mentally. "No," she replied rather rudely, "I don't ever wondered what it would be like if we were together as a _couple_ and I _don't _plan on wondering about it either. So save your philosophy for someone who even wants to listen," she snapped and got up from the armchair. As she made her way to the door, her hand was yanked back forcefully and the sudden movement made her collapse, her back to his chest, and he held her there with his two strong arms, locking her in place with his vice-like grip.

His head hung low and his bangs hid his eyes, Haruhi didn't know what he was about to do nor did she want to find out about it. "Hikaru, let go of me," she said calmly, yet dangerously. His grip only tightened and this made her agitated and annoyed at the same time. Why can't they just be happy for her? Why must they force her like this? As a million questions appeared in her mind, she was suddenly turned around to face her current captivator.

Then all too suddenly, Hikaru crushed his lips to her in a possessive manner. Haruhi struggled to get free from his hold but to no avail, his grip on her was too strong and it seriously hurt her. It was like a case of déjà vu all over again. First with Tamaki, now with Hikaru. The only difference was the kiss they administered (without her consent) to her.

Haruhi shoved him off with all her strength but he didn't even budge. In her mind, she was screaming the only one name she came to care about, '_TAKASHI!_'

As if by magic, two large hands pried her off from Hikaru, but before that happened, Hikaru was sent flying off to the middle of the balcony. She heard a wince from somewhere nearby and she saw Hikaru's double, Kaoru. Takashi set her down gently to the floor and stalked off towards the balcony. Both Kaoru and Haruhi were wide-eyed because they know what would happen next. Almost instantly, Haruhi grabbed Takashi's hand and held it firmly in her two small hands. She told him, through her eyes, not to do something rash towards Hikaru even though he might have deserved it. Wait, scratched that. He _**deserved**_ to be taught a lesson.

Kaoru turned towards Takashi, "Mori-senpai," he said quietly and the tall boy shifted his eyes to him, "Just don't do anything too rash on him," he stated, "I know he should be taught a lesson for taking, no, kidnapping Haruhi in the middle of the night, but please, I can't stand to watch if you do anything too rash… He is still my twin brother after all…" he trailed off and casted his eyes towards his brother who was slowly getting up. He wanted to help his twin brother out, but this… this was too idiotic of a move, filled with endless stupidity. Why does Hikaru have to be so immature about it? He sighed inwardly.

Takashi nodded grimly, but he accepted the younger twin's proposal even though he wanted to beat the hell out of Hikaru. He wanted to do _more_ than that. Seeing that Haruhi and Kaoru told him not to do anything too rash, he couldn't say no. Takashi shifted his gaze back towards Haruhi, who seemed to have kept staring at him since she held his hand. He leaned in forwards and kissed her softly at the corner of her lips, "Wait here," he whispered, Haruhi nodded in reply and let his hand go slowly. Before he went to the balcony, he shrugged his leather jacket off and put it around Haruhi who was only wearing a nightgown and a short one at that.

**---x---**

…_**Outside at the Balcony…**_

Takashi closed the balcony's door behind him, so the other occupants of the room wouldn't have to see what he was about to do to Hikaru. He stood right in the middle of the doorway, as if standing guard, if ever Hikaru wanted to bolt out. But Takashi wouldn't let him. The giant stared, slightly glaring, down at the red-head. Hikaru flinched slightly and felt rather intimidated with the third year senior's presence.

After a moment's of silence, Takashi was the one to break it out, "Why did you do it?" he demanded calmly, eyes narrowing at the red-head kohai.

Hikaru didn't answer but he casted his eyes downwards, his fists were clenching and unclenching as if to hold in his anger. Thirty seconds passed by and still no answer, Takashi was getting impatient too. Just as he was about to demand at Hikaru, the red-head spoke out almost quietly, "Because I had to, I need to know," he chuckled humorlessly.

Takashi narrowed his eyes dangerously at Hikaru who continued to speak as if he was the only one there, "I bet you did some scheming to make her fall in love with you," he muttered in a crazed way. "I always knew something was wrong… Why would she fall in love with you when we were the ones who were always with her…? You must have had did something…! I knew it, I knew it…!" his voice grew louder at each word he spluttered out.

Hikaru got up and lunged forwards at Takashi who readied himself for the impact, which sent him staggering back towards the balcony's door. The door shuddered slightly from the impact.

**---x---**

…_**Inside…**_

Kaoru paced anxiously along the floor while Haruhi sat back on the armchair she was sitting at earlier. They waited for Takashi and Hikaru to come out but when ten minutes passed by, they haven't even come out yet. Kaoru grew weary and was sort of worried over Hikaru's well-being, well he was actually really worried but this was necessary. He kept telling himself that in his mind over and over again.

At one point he stopped and walked over to the sitting area where Haruhi was currently at.

"Haruhi," he started quietly, "I'm sorry for Hikaru's rash behavior," he apologized on behalf of his brother.

"Kaoru, it's not your fault," she said softly and took his hand, reassuring him that all this wasn't his fault, "If it's anyone's fault, it should be Hikaru's," she grimaced.

Kaoru laughed nervously, "He shouldn't have done that to you, kidnapping you in the middle of the night like that, it's too low for a Hitachiin, he should know that," he said and grimaced slightly while a crease was forming on his forehead as he frowned.

Haruhi patted his knee in a way of comforting him.

Then suddenly, the balcony door shuddered slightly and they saw Takashi's silhouette pressed on the door (the door is made out of wood, painted white, with a glass pane embedded in the middle). Hikaru looked… raged and… crazed as he seemed to be shouting out words at Takashi. Haruhi made a move to go and stop them but Kaoru stopped her by holding firmly, but not to the point of hurting, onto her hand. He shook his head slightly and continued to watch the scene before them. Haruhi felt helpless but did the same as Kaoru.

**---x---**

…_**Outside…**_

Hikaru continued to shout words at Takashi like "Manipulative bastard", "You don't deserved her" and yada yada yada. When Hikaru stopped to catch his breath, Takashi shoved him off with a little force but it still made Hikaru staggered backwards, back to the middle of the balcony.

"Enough!" Takashi bellowed and glared at Hikaru. He was annoyed and his head was hurting him, he turned back towards the door, "If you ever did that to Haruhi again, make sure to dig your grave early. If there's a next time, I won't go easy on you," he warned in his monotone voice and went back inside the room where Haruhi and Kaoru were waiting.

Hikaru sat in the middle of the balcony, feeling dejected. He knew he had lost already.

**---x---**

Haruhi came rushing towards Takashi and embraced him in a tight hug as her hands wound around his waist. He then cupped her right cheek with his right hand and softly caressed her face. "Let's go," he murmured and lifted her bridal style towards the front door.

"Kaoru, are you coming?" Haruhi asked suddenly and took a glimpse at him.

"Nah, you go on ahead, I have something I need to do here," he smiled a small smile and waved his hand good bye at her. Haruhi nodded and Takashi proceeded to go outside the room.

Once they left, Kaoru made his way towards the balcony where Hikaru was currently at. He closed the door behind him and walked slowly towards his brother. When he was exactly next to Hikaru, he set down beside him.

"We lost her…" Hikaru muttered to the floor.

"_We_ didn't, _you_ did," Kaoru muttered softly and gazed up at the night sky, "I let her go when I knew her heart belonged to someone else…" he trailed off.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Hikaru muttered sulkily.

"Because you need to know about it yourself," Kaoru replied in the same soft manner. "I can't just point everything out to you, besides," he paused and shifted his gaze to his brother, "I know you wouldn't even listen even if I did tell you."

Hikaru huffed heavily, feeling annoyed at his brother's _**true**_ words.

**---x---**

Haruhi snuggled closer to Takashi as they made their way to the waiting limo, with Denjiro standing next to it. Denjiro greeted Takashi with a nod and opened the door for them to enter. Haruhi closed her eyes as the limo started to move, before sleep enveloped her, she muttered something to Takashi, "I think we really should start my self-defense training…"

Takashi smiled and kissed her forehead softly before firming his grip around her small petite frame.

**---x---**

Mitsukuni woke up around two a.m. and gave out a small yawn; he sat up slowly on his bed and rubbed his eyes with his tiny fists. Usa-chan was sitting on his lap. He looked to his left and saw Takashi and Haruhi snuggled on her bed. So, he got out of his bed and climbed onto Haruhi's bed while snuggling close next to her other side, Usa-chan placed in between them.

**---x---x---**

**Author's notes!**

**Another chapter done successfully, it took me a whole week to finish this up. Stupid writers' block… Plus my muse was having a vacation…**

**Anyway, reviews are highly appreciated! Suggestions are welcomed~**

**If you like role-playing, do visit this site (it's about Ouran):**

**http : / / morinozuka . proboards . com / index . cgi**

**Get rid of the spaces and oh, I'm role-playing as Yuuna Fukushima. XD**

**Till next time, bye bye~**


	24. Ten miles, Two hours

**Author's notes****!**

Hi minna-san! I just wanna say thank you to those who left reviews and who took the time to read this story during your busy schedules. I was kinda hoping that I'd reach a certain number of reviews, but what the heck. I'll post the next one up since I know some of you (well, maybe most) are impatient to know what happens next!

Review replies will be done at the bottom of this chapter. ^^

Onwards with the storehhh~

**Disclaimer****:** Bisco Hatori-sama's property. Plot belongs to me.

---x---

**Chapter 23 – Ten miles, Two hours**

---x---

Haruhi woke up to find Takashi with his arm circled around her waist as he nuzzled close to her hair and Mitsukuni, with Usa-chan placed between them as his thumb was in his mouth; they were sleeping peacefully beside her. She recalled the events that happened during midnight, it wasn't really surprising for her when Hikaru reacted that way but what infuriated her the most was being kidnapped in the middle of the night, driven to a hotel and then was held captive for who knows how long.

'_Why am I surrounded by a couple of idiots?_' she thought as she stared up at the ceiling. '_At least these two are level-headed_,' she glanced towards Takashi and smiled fondly as she watched him sleep. His skin was smooth and flawless as she traced her finger lightly on to the side of his face. His breathing was even as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. Then she glanced towards Mitsukuni, his blonde hair was ruffled and he looked a little vulnerable in his sleep, she felt she had to protect him. But she knew he wouldn't need any of that since he was **the** best martial artist in Japan.

By the look of the hue of the sky through the French doors, it was early morning, probably around 6 or 7. Haruhi propped herself on the bed and slowly lifted Takashi's arm away from her waist. She climbed down from the King-sized bed as she wanted to go to the bathroom, but was stopped as a large hand grabbed hold of her wrist. She turned around and saw Takashi peeking at her through half-closed eyes from his lying position. He tugged at her wrist lightly to tell her to go back to sleep and Haruhi just chuckled, which made Takashi quirked an eyebrow up.

He was worried that she would disappear again like what happened during midnight, he wasn't going to let the same thing to occur twice. He had to do whatever it took to make her safe and if it was keeping an eye on her for 24/7, then so be it.

Haruhi tilted her head to the side and looked at Takashi's sleepy figure. She tried to climb down from the bed again but was tugged back. "Shower," she mouthed towards her boyfriend and only then did Takashi let her wrist go before getting up as well. Haruhi blinked, "Takashi?" she asked confusedly, "what are you doing? You should sleep more, it's still early," she said as Takashi stood up and was stretching in front of her, "besides, I know you're still tired after the… midnight incident," she added quietly.

Takashi directed his gaze towards Haruhi and stepped closer to her. He cupped her cheek with his right palm and caressed her soft skin with his thumb; he went down to his knees so he was one level with her. "I'm not tired," he muttered quietly, "I've got more stamina than you do," he chuckled. Haruhi pouted and glared (in a playful way) at Takashi at the mention of stamina; she knew her stamina wasn't much but she wasn't _that_ weak, besides handling homework, house chores and the host club altogether in every single day helped strengthen her stamina.

"I need to go shower now," Haruhi said and got up from the bed, she proceeded to go to the bathroom. She stopped on the bathroom's doorway and glanced towards Takashi, who was sitting on his bed. "Taka-kun," he directed his gaze towards her, "wanna join?" she asked sweetly and innocently. His face remained stoic as a red tinge spread across his face, she laughed at the sight of his blushing face and was going to close the bathroom door behind her but she found that it wouldn't close as 'something' was preventing it from closing. "Eh?"

The door was pushed inwards as Takashi leaned on the doorway, looking down at her through his intense gaze. He was _smirking_. "Err… Taka-kun?" she said almost hesitantly. He didn't answer; he just kept gazing at her with that smirk still plastered on his face. Her heart was racing inside her ribcage.

"Shower," he stated simply.

"W-What?" she stuttered.

"You asked me to join you in the shower,"

"But I—"

"So, I'm here. Let's shower," Takashi added as if he wasn't interrupted, as if the subject was a normal thing to say.

"I was only kidding!" she said and her face was blushing furiously.

"Ah," he said and nodded in a very sarcastic way as if saying 'of course you did'.

"I was!" she pressed.

He stepped inside the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Haruhi was still blushing like a tomato and her eyes were directed everywhere except at Takashi. He took a single step closer towards Haruhi and swiftly lifted her without her even having the chance to respond and he made his way to the shower area.

"T-Takashi!" Haruhi protested while struggling to get down, "p-put me down!"

Takashi put Haruhi down when they reached the shower area; his smirk was still in place. He leaned against the cool white tiled wall with a flustered Haruhi standing awkwardly and of course embarrassingly, in front of him. "Stop that…" she muttered as her face blush another deeper shade of red.

"Stop what?" he teased.

"You're teasing," she muttered quietly. It wasn't the case of not liking this side of him, she loved it because it was a rare sight to see; he was only able to be like that when he's around her. She understood that much. But this… this was too embarrassing. She was only joking but he seemed to take it so seriously. Her earlier actions also taught her a lesson; **never joked with a Morinozuka**.

"I'm teasing," he said it more like a statement than a question. She only nodded. "But I'm serious," he added and another deeper shade of red spread across her delicate face.

"Wecouldonlyshowertogetherwhenwe'remarried," she mumbled, the words were jumbled together but Takashi understood it _perfectly_. Amazing, isn't he?

"Married?" he quirked an eyebrow up and gave her a crooked grin. "Do you want to get married to me?"

"…Don't you want to get… married to me?" she asked timidly. "But I probably understand if you don't want to, what with our status in the society and all. Plus we're still young, time is still ample. No need to rush, right? Of course not, we still have responsibilities to our family. You have Mitsukuni to protect; I can't expect you to divide that with me and all, since it is your duty. I still have my dream to think about too, I want to become a lawyer like my Mom–"

Haruhi rushed through her words and explanations to which Takashi found it rather amusing. He leaned closer to her until his gray eyes were one level with her brown ones. She abruptly stopped talking when Takashi became too close. She gazed into his eyes and he gazed into hers. He pushed her against the cool wall and placed his right palm next to her head.

"Ta…kashi?" Haruhi said slowly.

He leaned even closer and brushed his lips softly against hers. He cupped her cheek and trailed more feathery kisses along her jaw line, down to the crook of her neck and along her (almost) bare shoulders (she was still wearing her knee-length night gown). Haruhi felt tingly all over, she could still feel his soft kisses on her skin and felt like melting to the floor, if it wasn't for Takashi holding her waist firmly, she could have melted right then and there. He went back up to her lips and kissed her softly and passionately this time.

"Is this—" Takashi started as he paused from administering his kisses.

"Hmm?" Haruhi couldn't even find any words because her thoughts were elsewhere.

"Prove enough—" he said again after another pause.

"Of what?" it was all she could muster at the moment.

"That I want you," he whispered in her ear, "for the rest of my life?"

Haruhi didn't know what to say to that so all she could only do was nod once, and then she decided to mutter an audible (almost whispered) "Maybe," there was a slight tease in her tone but Takashi noticed it.

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Now about that shower…" he trailed off suggestively. There was a hint of mischievousness in his eyes that Haruhi noticed.

"Er… what about the shower?" she asked hesitantly and tried to back away from Takashi but her back only met with the hard, cool tiled wall.

Takashi only smiled at her mischievously before lifting her up in one sweep and strode towards the shower. He twisted the shower knob with his left hand, after setting the temperature to something a little bit warmer since it was probably cold during the early morning, while holding Haruhi easily using his right hand. Warm water drizzled onto their still clothed bodies and Haruhi was trying to hide her face against Takashi's chest since her face was threatening to get even redder by the minute. She was _absolutely_ embarrassed; who knew the Morinozuka heir could be so _daring_ at times like this.

Takashi chuckled lightly when Haruhi tried to hide her face; he lifted her chin with his index finger so she was forced (more or less) to look at him. Haruhi tried her best to avoid his penetrating gaze but couldn't do it as much as she wanted to, so in the end she had to look at him, otherwise this gazing contest would continue for a _very_ long time. Once he caught her gaze, he leaned in again and kissed her under the warm shower drizzle.

One kiss let to another and they ended up showering together for the very first time.

(**a/n:** sorry to disappoint you readers, but I won't be describing the shower scene in detail since this story is rated a T. As in future chapters, the ratings might be changed)

---x---

"Mitsukuni," a familiar voice called him from his sleep. He gave out a small yawn and sat up on the bed while rubbing his eyes, he found Takashi and Haruhi staring at him from the end of the bed.

"Takashi? Haru-chan?"

"Morning jog," Takashi simply said and Haruhi only smiled.

"Mitsu, you should go freshen up first before we go down the beach," Haruhi said, "We'll wait here."

Mitsukuni nodded and hurried to the bathroom, "Takashi! Haru-chan! Why is it all wet in here?" he called out from the bathroom but the two could only smile sheepishly as a blush crept on each of their cheeks.

Once the small blonde boy freshened up, he skipped towards his cousin and Haruhi. "I'm ready! Let's go jog~" the trio went out of their bedroom and made their way to the back entrance of the summer mansion, passed the kitchen and their staff who greeted them cheerily. Haruhi and Mitsukuni greeted back while Takashi only nodded. He wasn't a man of words, well except around his girl and his cousin.

They walked casually, side by side, down to the beach and once they reached there, Takashi and Mitsukuni started doing stretching exercises before they start jogging, otherwise there would be a whole lot of cramps when they finished jogging.

"Haru-chan! Come join us!" Mitsukuni called as Haruhi was standing a few feet away from them. Takashi nodded in agreement. Haruhi agreed and joined them a few minutes later since she had nothing to do at the moment, thank God she brought along her jogging sneakers. She joined in their stretching exercise session, and after a good ten minutes of stretching they started to jog along the coastline of the beach. Mitsukuni led them, followed by Haruhi and Takashi at the back. Sometimes, Takashi would jog next to Haruhi to check if she was out of breathe or anything.

Jogging's good, it helped Haruhi control her breathing evenly though sometimes she would gasp for some air. Mitsukuni noticed this, so he jogged a little slower than what he used to. They jogged for a good two hours for ten miles straight (the beach is long, like _long_) then they made a U-turn and jogged back to the mansion for another ten miles. Haruhi was exhausted but she didn't complain, she actually enjoyed the jog; it had been so long since her last jog and the last time was during middle school. She was active in sports then but when she entered Ouran Academy, she didn't find the time to properly jog or even exercise since she had a lot to handle at school and at home.

Once they got back to their stretching spot, Haruhi was panting for air and literally collapsed to the sand.

"Haru-chan!" "Haru!" Mitsukuni and Takashi shouted and immediately went to her side. Suddenly a burst of laughter came out from the girl; she was clutching her stomach to control her sudden burst of laughter. Mitsukuni and Takashi gave each other a confused glance.

"Haru-chan, are you alright?" the shorter one asked while scrutinizing at her intently.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay Mitsu," she giggled and panting through breathes while trying to sit up, so Takashi helped her, he too was looking worriedly over her. "I just never had jog that long… and I was _really_ glad that it was over, I don't think my legs could go… any further if we continued on," she panted and tried to laugh but it looked like she was gasping for air, so she paused to inhale deeply in order to breath normally again.

Takashi had gone back to the mansion to retrieve a bottle of water, and when he returned back, he gave her the bottle which Haruhi gulped greedily. Mitsukuni giggled at the sight of her flushed face, who knew that the girl in front of him didn't have much stamina. She should have told him though but instead she just followed through.

"Haru-chan," Mitsukuni called seriously, "you should tell us if you're feeling out of breathe or anything. We were really worried about you just now," he added and Takashi nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I will and I'm sorry," she said after seeing that they were really serious and then she was suddenly engulfed in a hug by Mitsukuni (who actually glomped her more than hugged her) as well as patted on the head by Takashi. It was their way of showing affection.

"Haru-chan kawaii!" Mitsukuni shouted in glee. Haruhi only smiled in reply.

"Not to be rude guys, but er…"

"What is it Haru-chan?" Mitsukuni asked as he cocked his head to one side while still hugging her.

"We're kinda… sticky and ah, sweaty at the moment. You know, like from the running and stuff," she added sheepishly while rubbing the back of her neck absentmindedly.

Mitsukuni giggled and Takashi just chuckled, "Then we should go take a shower, ne Takashi?" the smaller one asked. Takashi and Haruhi gave a sheepish glance towards each other but Mitsukuni didn't miss it, "Something wrong Haru-chan? Takashi?" he asked and tilted his head to one side again.

"Hn," Takashi simply said.

"N-not really Mitsu," Haruhi said in a rather awkwardly embarrassed manner, "Ah! Why don't we ask the chef to prepare some cakes for today?" she added as a means to change the subject.

Mitsukuni left it at that and shrugged his shoulders off at the mention of cakes, "Yay! Cakes! Let's go! Let's go!" he said enthusiastically and continued to chant out "Cake!" on their way back to the mansion.

---x---

After having done with their showers and dressed in casual summer clothing, where Mitsukuni wore a sleeveless pink cotton shirt and a pair of three-quarter khaki pants, as for Takashi, he opted to wear a white (body-hugging) polo t-shirt and a pair of his denim black jeans while Haruhi wore another one of her summer dress, which Ranka packed for her, and it was cream in color, they went down to the kitchen and asked if the chef could make some cakes for them.

Mitsukuni requested for a (or maybe a few) strawberry cake(s) from the head chef who obliged reluctantly; it was a wonder why they didn't go complaining to their young master for having to bake (a few dozen) cakes every day. Maybe it was because they enjoyed it? Perhaps. Or maybe it was because they had something to do, not that they don't mind you. But anyway, let's not stray away from the story.

The trio went to sit at the back patio, enjoying the morning summer breeze and the sun as they waited for breakfast and Mitsukuni's cakes to arrive. By around this time, the devil twins, the Host king and the Shadow king had not awakened yet which didn't really bother Haruhi that much, at least she should enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasted. If the other four members did join them for breakfast, it wasn't like Haruhi was going to talk to them, especially to Hikaru and Tamaki. Heck, she wanted to pummel them to death for causing havoc in her once peaceful life. The constant arguments, first from Tamaki then from Hikaru, gave her a _huge_ headache. Why can't they just be happy for her? _Why? _Now, at least, if they were to do something again, Takashi would come to the rescue as her knight in shining armor but she would have preferred to do things herself, hence, the self-defense training.

"Taka, when are we going to start my training?" Haruhi asked after contemplating her thoughts on the self-defense subject.

Both Takashi and Mitsukuni looked at her, and then they looked at each other. Takashi gave a nod when Mitsukuni sent a silent message through his eyes to Takashi.

"Your training has already started," Takashi replied and smiled gently.

Haruhi tilted her head to one side, "Since when?" she asked, her tone contained no malice whatsoever, just pure curiosity.

Mitsukuni giggled at this, "The jog was part of your training, Haru-chan!" he said.

"Eh?" a dumbstruck Haruhi asked as she gave her signature blank face.

Takashi chuckled at the look on her adorable face; this action earned him a glare from Haruhi. He wanted to burst out laughing, but it wasn't his character. Besides, seeing a laughing Takashi is kinda scary… not to mention strange. "The jog strengthened your leg muscles," he stated simply after regaining back his composure.

"Yup, what Takashi said," Mitsukuni interjected in agreement, "You need strong legs for your self-defense training," he added and grinned like a little boy given candy. "You also need a strong body too Haru-chan!"

"Of course, Mitsu," she replied and patted him on the head, "I know that much," she giggled and smirked lightly.

Once their breakfast had arrived, they continued their conversation about the different tactics that can be used in self-defense. Takashi also mentioned things about Kendo that Haruhi needed to know since she wanted to take Kendo as well as part of her self-defense training program. They decided that when school reopens, they would start the more intense training since they were to stay at the mansion for the rest of the summer break.

During in the midst of their casual and carefree conversation, the other four members walked in. Takashi became a little guarded and looked pretty protective over Haruhi while she was ignoring the presence of two specific members. Mitsukuni took notice of this but chose to ignore it also.

"Good morning Kyouya-senpai," she greeted with her hosting natural smile, "and good morning Kaoru."

---x---

**Author's notes!**

There, all done! I'm not really happy with this chapter, but I think it was necessary. Okay, time for review replies:

**DarkRavie**, don't worry. Their friendship won't strain for too long. But Hikaru will continue to be a jerk sometimes.

**Scherherazade**, I absolutely agree with you, every girl does need self-defense training.

I think that's it. Anyway, during next week, I probably won't be able to update since I'll be extremely busy. But I'll try to find the time to write down the next chapter and update as soon as I can, no promises though. And do your thing people! Make me happy with reviews. ^^

Oh and one more thing, we (the members of the Ouran Private High School RP site) need a **Kyouya**, like **seriously**. Kyouya's the only character that's missing in the host club at our Ouran site. So if anyone's interested, you can send me a PM through here. Also, be sure to check out our Ouran RP fanfiction. We made an account so we could post the RP threads we did, you can go to my profile to check it out.

P/S:

This story is not beta-proof; I'm too tired to do so. If there are any mistakes, please don't hesitate to point them out 


	25. Kendoka

**Author's notes!**

Sorry for not updating for the past few days! Anyway, a lot of you seemed to be surprised with the shower scene in the previous chapter… I feel like I should edit it out or something… *_mutters something inaudible_* and reviews have reached more than 200! Thanks to all of you for being such devoted readers and reviewers.

I'd send a cookie to all of you if I could because you deserve it ^^

And review replies will be done at the end of the chapter!

**Side note:** this chapter is sort of a filler and it's going to be short (sorta), it will only revolve around the history of Kendo and martial arts, which is practiced by Takashi and Mitsukuni. So if you want to skip, do so. But you'll have to wait for a few days again for the next chapter. With that said, enjoy the filler!

**Disclaimer:** _After 23 chapters, should I really write it down again?_

---x---

**Chapter 24 – Kend****ō****ka**

---x---

"Good morning Haruhi," Kyouya greeted and took a seat next to Takashi, he helped himself with the breakfast that was being laden on the table. His usual morning drink, brewed black coffee, was already prepared by the maids.

"Good morning," Kaoru muttered and took a seat across from Haruhi. He sent awkward glances from his brother to Haruhi. The latter was oblivious to these glances while the former was being exceptionally quiet. Tamaki took a seat next to Kaoru, so that left the other seat beside Kaoru's other side for Hikaru. The Host king was also being quiet today, very odd. _Not._

The breakfast carried on in a rather awkward silence, well, awkward for Tamaki and Hikaru perhaps, since the others (Haruhi included) seemed to be enjoying the breakfast. Kyouya, of course, **enjoyed** this silence to the fullest; there was no constant bickering coming from Tamaki nor was there any trivial arguments coming from the twins. If this silence could carry on until the rest of the summer break, he would absolutely be **extremely** happy (happy in the shadow king way), maybe he would even decreased Haruhi's debt to the host club by a large sum, since it was all thanks to her for giving the silent treatment to Tamaki and Hikaru. '_This is going to be one of the most peaceful holidays I have ever had_,' Kyouya smirked lightly behind his cup of coffee.

After breakfast was done, all of them dispersed; Hikaru and Kaoru stayed inside their room to work on another clothing design for their Mother who was currently in Milan organizing a fashion show, Tamaki went to the library on the second floor (he's going to lock himself up there for a _very_ long time), Kyouya stayed at the backyard patio with his Pineapple laptop (even though it's the holidays, he's still doing major business deals with other companies), while Haruhi, Takashi and Mitsukuni went up to their room.

---

Haruhi, Takashi and Mitsukuni were lounging around at the small sitting area, the French doors were opened and a light breeze blew inside their bedroom. As usual, Mitsukuni was enjoying his array of cakes. Takashi and Haruhi were reading books of their choice. Haruhi's choice of reading material was called 'Pride and Prejudice' written by the famous Jane Austen, while Takashi's reading material was about the history of Kendo.

"Haruhi," Takashi said suddenly and placed his book down onto the round glass table in front of him. The brunette looked up from her book and stared at her boyfriend questioningly, "Do you wish to know about the history of Kendo?" he asked simply. For someone who wasn't a close friend to Takashi, they would probably freak out by the sudden outburst of (probably) the longest sentence he had uttered in one breath.

Haruhi continued to look at Takashi, "I suppose I should, since I'll be learning Kendo," she answered and then placed her book down next to Takashi's book. She crossed her legs comfortably on the sofa and leaned back, relaxing all the muscles in her body, signaling for Takashi to continue. Mitsukuni stopped eating his cakes (oh my god! He stopped eating cakes!) and went to sit next to Haruhi, leaning at her side comfortably. Whenever Takashi started to talk about the history of Kendo, he would always be eager to hear about it even though he had heard of it all throughout his life, namely from his father and from his Uncle, Takashi's father.

Takashi leaned back in his seat before inhaling deeply. "Since the earliest samurai government in Japan," he began, "during the Kamakura period, sword fencing, together with horse riding and archery, were the main martial pursuits of the military clans. In this period kendo developed under the strong influence of Zen Buddhism. The samurai could equate the disregard for his own life in the heat of battle, which was considered necessary for victory in individual combat, to the Buddhist concept of the illusory nature of the distinction between life and death."

"Kendo is composed of two kanji: "Ken", meaning sword, and "Do", meaning 'the way/path of'. Together the term is literally the "way of the sword". It is a martial arts tradition spawned by the traditional schools of swordsmanship (ryu) of ancient Japan, and was practiced large by the _bushi_, or samurai class of the era. As practice with real blades is inherently dangerous, the schools developed a dummy sword called a _jukdo_ or _shinai_, and a set of protective equipment called _bogu _which protects the head (_men_), wrists (_kote_), chest (_do_), and groin (_tare_). Before the Showa period, 1926 to 1989, Kendo was customarily referred to as _kenjutsu_ or _gekken_.

"Practitioners of kendo are called _kendōka, _meaning "one who practices kendo", or occasionally _kenshi,_ meaning "swordsman".

"Concepts such as _mushin_, or "empty mind", are borrowed from Zen Buddhism and are considered essential for the attainment of high-level kendo. _Fudōshin_, or "unmoving mind", is a conceptual attribute of the deity Fudo Myo-O, one of the five "Kings of Light" of Shingon Buddhism. _Fudōshin_, implies that the _kend__ō__ka_ cannot be led astray by delusions of anger, doubt, fear or surprise arising from the opponent's actions. Thus today it is possible to embark on a similar quest of spiritual enlightenment as followed by the samurai of old.

"The _concept_ of Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the applications of the principles of the Katana. The _purpose_ of Kendo is to mold the mind and body; to cultivate a vigorous spirit, and through correct and rigid training, to strive for improvement in the art of Kendo; to hold in esteem in human courtesy and honor; to associate with others with sincerity and to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself. Thus one will be able to love ones country and society, to contribute to the development of culture and to promote peace and prosperity among all people."

Takashi stopped to drink some water; he had not talked this much for a while now.

"The essence of Kendo," he continued after placing his glass of water down, "is attaining mental, spiritual and physical calm with balance, thus the popular Kendo phrase, "_ki- ken- tai no icchi_". In effect, the spirit (_ki_), the sword (_ken_), and the body (_tai_) must move and act as one. Mitsukuni," he called suddenly and Mitsukuni nodded in response.

"Now Haru-chan," Mitsukuni started, "You must pay attention to what I'm about to explain next," he said and added, "It is very important in Kendo." Haruhi didn't say a word but only nodded in response. So far, what Takashi just told her was really interesting. She grew more interested about Kendo and wanted to learn more about it. She encouraged Mitsukuni to continue on with his explanation.

"To execute a successful strike: You must see the **target**, feel the chance available to you, and work the resolve to make the cut. Often there's a "go for broke" spirit in a strike which manifests itself in the _kiai_ or scream that arises from the gut of the _kend__ō__ka_. This is for the '_ki_' part of the Kendo phrase."

Seeing the look on Haruhi's face made Mitsukuni burst into a small giggle, "Don't worry Haru-chan, you'll understand it once we practice at the dojo at the Academy."

Relieved washed over Haruhi, '_well at least, I know what it's going to be about soon,_' she thought silently then signaled for Mitsukuni to continue.

"Anyway, the motion of the sword in its rise and its descent on the target must be precisely coordinated with the will and the body's movement forward upon the target. That is what meant by the '_ken_' part of the Kendo phrase.

"And the last but not least part, _tai_. The body must follow the will of the _kend__ō__ka_ and the movement of the _shinai_ as it lands on its **target.** The legs must lunge forward to get within striking distance, and the back must be straight. All of this is accompanied by a confident resolve to achieve the objective. So far, do you understand Haru-chan?" Mitsukuni asked. He was afraid that Haruhi would get more and more confused about it.

"Ah yes, I do understand," Haruhi replied reassuringly. "I _will_ be able to see a demonstration by the time school reopens, right?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side absent mindedly.

"Of course Haru-chan!" Mitsukuni said excitedly. "Right Takashi?" Takashi grunted and nodded in reply. "He he. Yay! I get to beat Takashi again~" he said cheerily and grinned at his two best friends. Takashi smirked and said, "We'll see."

Haruhi laughed softly at the competitive attitude between Takashi and Mitsukuni, "Do I get to referee?" she asked teasingly. Mitsukuni nodded eagerly and Takashi only smiled. "Let's make this interesting," she said and placed her index finger to her lips, a gesture she always made when she was in thought, "Whoever wins gets to eat something delicious that I will make personally," she proposed. Mitsukuni's eyes sparkled instantly, he always loved what Haruhi made, especially the home-cook meals. It's different from the usual meals he had at home, which were prepared by international chefs. Takashi was on the same thought as Mitsukuni; he too wanted to have more of Haruhi home-cooked meals. Silently, they oath to win during the 'demonstration' and in terms of winning, what they really meant was they were going to do **whatever** it takes to win.

---

**Author's notes!**

See? Told you it was short. You have to wait for a few days for the next chappy. I won't explain the Japanese terms I used above since the meanings are already there. Anyways, leave reviews so they will motivate me to write up the next chapter!

**LadyGraceC**: tis up to everyone's imagination to see Mori acting like that ^^

**Phommabouth**: don't worry, they weren't really naked… I think.

**Lady Airashii Mentsu 67**: congratulations for being the 200th reviewer!

**LightAlchemist300**: I will work on that as soon as I can manage my time ^^ but there **will** be a one-shot of pure lemon. You just have to wait.

**queen34**: well, she wasn't but I made her to be that way since when writing a story in , you can tweak a bit of the information ^^

**tjdyt**: I'm sorry I took too long to upload the chapters , life's been demanding more of my time T_T

**Scherherazade**: I get what you mean, but since Haruhi had been through hell for the past few days since she stayed at Kyouya's mansion and after becoming Takashi's girlfriend, don't you think Takashi should pamper her a little bit? ^^

Thank you so much to **Midnight Leopard**, **AnimeBean**, **DarkRavie**, **LynnDe**, **XOiHeartMiloOX**, **LavenderExtract** and **-Yuuki-Fukshima- **for the lovely reviews! I love you guys very, very much XD

Oh, random question, are there any guys who's reading this story? I just like to know ^^

**I'll update as soon as I can, no promises. Ja~ ne!**

**Side note:**

**Join me and the other members of Ouran Private High School at out Ouran RP site, there are still a lot of slots for other characters even though all the host club members' slots are already taken!**

**morinozuka dot proboards dot com slash index dot cgi**


	26. Checkmate

**Author's note:**

Hey guys, I got nothing much to say right now. So, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: All of it belongs to Bisco Hatori-sama, but I'm the one who owns this plot.

---

**Chapter 25 – Checkmate**

---

More than a week had passed since they stayed at Kyouya's summer house (or mansion) and there are only a couple of days left until school reopens, summer break was almost over. Haruhi had become more knowledgeable about the history of Kendo and martial arts, thanks to Takashi and Mitsukuni for providing the details to her. In truth, she really couldn't wait to start training for her self-defense lessons, she had a feeling she would **need** it in the near future.

Hikaru and Tamaki were in good terms with Haruhi now, not great terms, just good. They didn't converse as much but they did converse a little, the current situation (from what had happened last week) between the three of them was still awkward (for the idiots at least), though she didn't really care as much anymore since it was **her** life and it was **her **choice to be with Takashi. As her friends, they should have supported her, not try to separate her from the man she loves and cares about. Maybe, just maybe, they were still immature about these kinds of things.

Throughout the previous 'kidnapping Haruhi' scheme made by Tamaki and Hikaru, Mitsukuni was always there to support her. After all, she would be his cousin once Takashi and Haruhi get married in the future. He would do anything for his Imoto-chan which also included protecting her from anything dangerous or anything that threatens to jeopardize her relationship with Takashi. Even from his cherubic features and small stature, he could be intimidating and deadly.

---

During breakfast this morning, Kyouya proposed an agenda (that was new… he doesn't propose anything before, well not for the first time anyways, it should be Tamaki's thing). He proposed that they should go to the summer festival held in the nearby town; he heard of it from the maids when they were talking during their break the previous day.

(**Flashback**)

_He happened to be passing by and couldn't help but asked them when the festival will be held. The maids were taken aback by his sudden presence since he never usually talked to them before, except for wanting things to be done. One of the maids, who were slightly older than the rest of their group, told him that it would be held tomorrow night._

_Kyouya thanked her and walked off as if the conversation didn't happen at all. The maids were confused at his sudden change of behavior but left it at that. It seemed like the shadow king has a heart after all._

(**End of flashback**)

Tamaki and the twins perked up at the mention of the festival when Kyouya announced it. They looked really eager to go there, even Mitsukuni was excited. The short loli-shota kept bouncing on his seat and wouldn't keep still.

"Summer Festival?" Haruhi asked nonchalantly. "Should we really go?" she added as she munched on a warm blueberry muffin.

The glare on Kyouya's glasses reflected in the light, "If you go Haruhi, I'll decrease your debt by 5%," he said.

"15," she said as she sipped her chamomile tea.

Tamaki and the twins looked horrified and took cover when Haruhi dared to go against Kyouya. They were cowering in fear at the corner of the dining room. Even little Mitsu was hiding at Takashi's side, he wasn't really intimidated by Kyouya but he just wanted to act his part and be 'Honey'. Takashi was Takashi; he didn't give off any expression when Haruhi dared to negotiate with the Shadow King of the Host Club.

"7," Kyouya smiled that 'I'm-plotting-something-evil' smile.

"13."

"9."

"11."

"10," Kyouya said finally.

Haruhi gave it a thought for a minute, pausing on munching her muffin. Kyouya was getting slightly miffed about this whole negotiating thing, and he **never **negotiates with anyone. "Fine," she said, giving in. "It's better than five anyway," she smirked lightly and continued to eat the muffin in her hand happily.

Kyouya twitched slightly, since when did he become this _soft_? Maybe the fact that Haruhi could see right through his mask made him become this way. It felt like he wasn't as intimidating as before anymore. But he was still glad that the blonde idiot and the twins were still afraid of him. After all, why would he be called a Shadow King if he wasn't wrathful and intimidating towards his subordinates, in this case, the rest of the members of the host club?

"To continue on with the agenda in hand," he started and leaned back in his chair comfortably, his fingers intertwining with each other as he placed his elbows on the arm rest, "All of you are required to wear a kimono. Hikaru and Kaoru, you two will be in charge on the kimono," the twins swiftly got up from the corner and saluted him before dashing to their room to start on the designs, "Tamaki, you'll be in charge of the program for tomorrow night," Kyouya stated and Tamaki leaped up from his corner of woe and began to pace around while thinking of what they should do during the festival. Then he dashed inside his room to do some research about commoner's summer festival.

Mitsukuni watched as they dashed from the dining room, he continued to eat on his cakes. Takashi sipped his apple tea and nibbled on a blueberry muffin. Haruhi was already at her fourth muffin, it was really good she couldn't stop eating it. Usually, she's really not a fan of sweets, but this one was an exception. She made a mental note to ask the chef for the recipe later, so she could try and make them for the host club in the future.

---

Once breakfast was over, Kyouya, followed by Takashi, Haruhi and Mitsukuni wandered over to one of the living rooms. Since Mitsukuni didn't wish to go out anywhere today, they decided that they should take this opportunity to really rest ever since they stayed at Kyouya's place from day one of summer break.

Takashi was sitting in between Haruhi and Mitsukuni on one of the long luxurious sofas. There was a small wooden round table placed in front of Mitsukuni, the table was laden with different kinds of cakes you could ever imagine. Haruhi was currently reading on a literature book, one of Shakespeare's best plays, Romeo and Juliet.

"Mori-senpai, care for a game of chess?" Kyouya asked from behind his laptop, his elegant fingers hovering over the keyboard and his eyes were hidden behind the glare of his glasses.

"Un," Takashi grunted and nodded once in reply. He moved from the sofa he was sitting at and sat across from Kyouya, who was just about to move his laptop to the side. Takashi had played chess several times before back at home, usually with his father, Morinozuka Akira. So he was rather familiar with the game. Plus, chess helps to exercise the mind especially for the thinking skills department. To be able to think during a difficult situation is needed for the likes of a Morinozuka, and it goes to any other man in the world as well.

Haruhi watched with Mitsukuni as the game commenced between the host club's Shadow King and its Silent Giant. She brought her legs up and tucked them sideways as she leaned back comfortably. She placed the literature book on her lap. Mitsukuni stopped mid-way of eating his cakes when the chess game was getting interesting. He could see the close competition between the two.

So far, Kyouya was leading and Takashi was not far behind with only one piece difference. Two of Kyouya's pawns, as well as his knight and bishop were defeated, while three of Takashi's pawns were taken down, that included two of his best knights.

Kyouya smiled amusedly as he looked at his defeated subordinate pieces. "You're very good at this game, Mori-senpai," he mused and leaned back casually.

"Same goes to you," Takashi replied back and he placed his left arm on the armrest as he pondered on the next move he was about to make. He gazed boringly at his defeated chess pieces. Then he moved his castle three steps forward and took down Kyouya's other knight. "Check," Takashi muttered quietly and something flickered in his gray eyes, you have to really see it to notice it. Fortunately, Haruhi and Mitsukuni noticed it, the latter chuckled softly. Was that… amusement in Takashi's eyes?

Kyouya quirked up and eyebrow and smiled amusingly. How did he not see that predictable move? He should have predicted it earlier, or was he too arrogant to think that he would win this game in the end? '_Perhaps, there is something more to Mori-senpai that what I had expected,_' he thought to himself and chuckled inwardly. "Checkmate, Senpai," he announced as he made his final move. '_Maybe that 'something more' is not enough…_'

"Good game, Kyouya," Takashi congratulated him.

"It was all because I had a good opponent, Mori-senpai," Kyouya replied back, "We should do this another time again."

Takashi nodded to indicate his agreement. "Of course," he said. He got up and went back towards Haruhi and Mitsukuni, the former stood up and congratulated him on the game, "You played great, Takashi," she said and beamed proudly up at him. Takashi smiled and placed his palm on her head and ruffled her hair softly. "Do you always play chess?" she inquired. Mitsukuni chose to answer her question, "Yup! Takashi always played with Uncle, but it was more like Uncle forced Takashi to play with him. Most of the time they would play Shogi, they like to keep things traditional. The same goes to my family," he said and continued to munch on his cakes happily, Usa-chan placed beside him.

---

(_**Time jump to the summer festival night**_)

By the time the summer festival arrived, Hikaru and Kaoru had already finished with the kimonos they will be wearing.

Tamaki was wearing a cream-ish white to almost white kimono with golden (made of pure golden thread) intricate flower designs that were large in size. The flowers start from the bottom of his kimono, then winds up to the chest area and around to his back. The accompanied obi sash was golden in color.

Kyouya's kimono was a lilac one with midnight black twin dragons at the back which were facing away from each other, then the dragons' bodies wind up to the front and down to the bottom of the kimono. His obi sash was black in color.

The twins' kimonos were orange and light blue, Hikaru's orange and Kaoru's light blue. Hikaru's kimono has green stripes going vertical and there were yellow bamboos amidst the stripes that gathered at the bottom then went up to just below his waist. Kaoru's kimono has red stripes going vertical with brown bamboos amidst the stripes. Just like Hikaru's, the bamboo gathered at the bottom of Kaoru's kimono then went up to just below his waist.

For little Mitsu, his kimono was light pink. His kimono pattern consisted of outlines of irregular waves in darker pink at the bottom and was sewn quarter way up from the bottom. Silhouettes of seagulls were scattered around his chest area and there was a setting sun on his back. Takashi's was in dark blue, he wanted something simple so there were no designs for his kimono. It was just a simple, plain dark blue kimono. But the material for his kimono was made of highest quality.

Finally, Haruhi's kimono, it was blood red in color with light pink to almost white cherry blossoms and dark brown branches. The cherry blossom design covered the whole of her kimono. The obi sash she wore was light red in color and it was tied up into a huge bow. She thought that it was beautiful but at the same time too extravagant. She didn't complain and just went on with the flow, she knew Hikaru was the one who mostly designed her kimono, and she knew that this was one of his ways to patch his friendship back with her.

---

Once the limousine that drove them to the festival arrived in front of a temple, all of them stepped out elegantly and posed like the rich boys they were brought up as, and Haruhi was still in the limo of course. Takashi, with Mitsukuni in front of him, and Kyouya to his left stood in front of the limousine at the right side. Tamaki, who stood in front of Hikaru and Kaoru, stood together in the front of the limousine at the left side. The boys made a pathway on either side of the current opened door of their limousine.

All the passersby stared in awe at the sight of six beautiful guys and their jaws dropped to the floor as a beautiful petite girl clad in a dark red kimono stepped out from the limousine. Girls and boys began to whisper to each other, the girls were quite jealous to see the one girl that was surrounded by six bishounens.

Takashi held out his hand to Haruhi who took it softly and a warm smile spread across her flushed face.

------

**Author's note:**

The real summer festival will be in a different chapter, it's easier that way. And thank you everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! I love all of you! Please review this chapter as well as it motivates me to write more chapters ^^

---

**Translations:**

Imoto-chan – little sister

Shogi – Japanese chess

Bishounens – Beautiful males.


	27. End of Summer

**Author's note:**

_Is it just me or are my reviewers are getting less each time I post a new chapter…? And to my RP buddies, I ran out of ideas to continue this story, so… I think the festival would be a good ending to the summer. *smiles*_

_Anyway, I'm dedicating this chapter to you awesome people! Yes, you! XD_

**Disclaimer:** Bisco Hatori-dono is awesome for creating Ouran High School Host Club.

------

**Chapter 26 – End of Summer**

------

The temple was packed with a lot of people, ranging from the elders, to families to even young teenagers alike. The one location that was really packed was the fair. Many different kinds of booths were set up just for tonight. There were food stalls, game booths and even a fortune-telling booth.

Tamaki had already set up a bullet-proof plan for tonight, and from his calculations, tonight would be a spectacular event to remember (_or so he thought_ XD). Knowing the host club, they would probably **not** follow or do any of his prepared plans. Why? That's because they (especially the devil twins, Hikaru and Kaoru) liked to make the (self-proclaimed) Host King suffer (insert evil devil grin here).

"Alright, my most loyal subjects," Tamaki began, "we're going to start off with the commoners' games first! Then, we shall venture through and test our taste buds on the different kinds of wonderful commoners' festival cuisines! Next, we will explore more on the commoners' games since I have been told that –"

"This is boring. Ne Kaoru, let's go over there," Hikaru said and placed his elbow on Kaoru's shoulder while pointing to some random direction. Kaoru nodded in reply and they made their way through the crowd.

"—I heard that the dance at the temple, which will start at two hours from now, is a beautiful art –" Tamaki rambled on.

"Haru-chan, are there any cakes here?" asked Mitsukuni.

"I don't think there are any," said Haruhi but quickly added when Mitsukuni threatened to tear up, "but there are different kinds of sweets being sold at the food stalls. Do you want to try them out?"

Mitsukuni nodded eagerly and took Haruhi's hand in his and made their way to the direction of the food stalls, ones that sell sweets, with Takashi following close behind them.

"The finale will be amazing! I did a research on these kinds of festivals, and –" Tamaki continued on proudly. All throughout this time, his eyes were closed and his back was faced to them, this is just so to make his speech more dramatic. He didn't notice that most of the members had wandered off to different directions already, thus leaving Tamaki and his non-stop ramblings behind.

"Tamaki, they have already left," Kyouya stated calmly as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his slender and straight nose.

Tamaki shot his eyes opened and saw the rest, except for Kyouya, had disappeared. This caused him to immediately dart to woe under a huge Sakura tree. He began to poke at a (magically appeared) mushroom, and somehow a couple of mushrooms had spurted out from his blonde head. Passers-by looked on in worry at the figure whose aura had turned into a depressing black-purplish color. One complete stranger, who happens to be a pretty high school girl, approached him slowly.

"Ano, are you alright?" she asked concernedly.

Tamaki stood up suddenly and tilted the girl while holding onto her waist with one hand, "Ah fear not, Princess, for I am fine," he said softly while smiling his hosting smile and presented her with a single red rose. The poor girl blushed and stuttered a thank you; she took the rose slowly from Tamaki's extending hand.

"Come Kyouya! Let's go find the others!" Tamaki announced and made his way into the crowd, leaving a dazed girl behind. Kyouya smiled his hosting smile at the girl and followed behind Tamaki casually. The girl blushed yet again and nearly fainted to the ground if she weren't supported by one of her friends.

---

"Hikaru," Kaoru started as they stopped to play at a game booth, "How are things going with Haruhi?" he asked.

Hikaru didn't answer for a few minutes and left it at that, but knowing Kaoru, he would probably ask him that question again at another time.

"What do you mean, Kaoru?" Hikaru muttered, he wanted to avoid that question if he could.

"Don't play an idiot, you know what I meant," Kaoru said softly as he tossed a ball to a stack of blocks. The man who handled the game booth handed him a prize, Kaoru thanked him with a grin and looked back at Hikaru, waiting for his answer.

"It's getting there," he mumbled quietly. He didn't like talking about these things. But Kaoru's the only person that he would tell his problems too. It wasn't like he could walk up to one of the other members and tell them his problems. He was too proud to do that.

"You know…" Kaoru trailed off, "the easiest thing you can do is apologize to her and I mean, **really **apologize. Not just say 'I'm sorry' cause that wouldn't be enough and we both know it," he added softly, "Haruhi's our best friend, and she was the one who led us both out of that world of ours. Do you want to lose her friendship as well?"

"Of course not!" Hikaru said heatedly, "I know she's our best friend and I love her more than that, but I guess, I should be happy for her, huh? Mori-senpai is a good guy, and I think he'll take good care of her as well…"

Kaoru only nodded in reply. "We can always be brothers to her," Kaoru stated, "besides, we need to protect her from people like Tono," he snickered.

Hikaru grinned, "You got that right!"

"Come on! Let's go beat those people over there," Kaoru pointed to a game booth where people have to shoot a ball inside the hoop. Hikaru nodded and the twins raced to the game booth.

---

"Three ikinari dango please," Haruhi requested from the lady who tended the food stall they were currently at. The lady handed them a plastic filled with the dessert, but there were three extras in them.

Haruhi was about to hand her the money when she was interrupted, "It's on the house," the lady said, smiling sweetly at them.

"Ah, arigato ne," Haruhi replied with a genuine smile.

"Ne, ne, Haru-chan," Mitsukuni called, "what did you just buy?" he asked curiously.

"This? It's ikinari dango, Mitsukuni. It's a sweet steamed bun with a filling inside," she explained. Mitsukuni's eyes brightened at the mentioned of 'sweet'. "Let's go over there and see what they're selling," Haruhi pointed to a stall located a few feet from them.

Takashi took the plastic bag from Haruhi, "Takashi, I can carry that," she insisted.

Takashi refused to give it back to her, "Let me."

Haruhi looked pointedly at Takashi and slightly pouted, but Takashi didn't give in even though she was extremely adorable-looking at that moment. Mitsukuni giggled at their behavior as he looked from Haruhi to Takashi. Sensing that Takashi wouldn't oblige with her determination, she walked off towards the food stall with Mitsukuni in tow. She was completely ignoring Takashi.

An amused smile graced Takashi's lips as he quirked up an eyebrow at Haruhi's retreating figure. Then he started to walk towards their direction as well while plotting up plans to make it up to her.

"Come on, Takashi!" Haruhi called as she glanced back to him, "If you're slow, we're gonna leave you behind!" she teased and disappeared into the crowd, along with Mitsukuni.

When Takashi finally caught up to them, Haruhi had already purchased a different set of sweets for the three of them. Takashi took the plastic bag from her when Haruhi was about to protest. He smiled amusingly and leaned down next to her ear, and when he stood back up, Haruhi was blushing furiously and reluctantly let the plastic bag taken from her.

Even though it was dark, Mitsukuni was able to see Haruhi blushed, "Ne Takashi, what did you say to Haru-chan?" he asked curiously as he looked up to his cousin. Takashi only smiled and stayed silent. He wasn't going to tell it to Mitsukuni right in front of Haruhi; he would tell it to him once they're back at the Morinozuka estate. Mitsukuni grinned and let the subject dropped, for now.

"Let's go over there," Haruhi desperately wanted to change the subject and she hurried over to a booth draped with dark red velvet curtains. As soon as she stood in front of the booth, she was greeted by an old lady who was wearing a gypsy costume.

"Come in child, come in," the old lady said, "Do you want me to read you a fortune?"

Haruhi only nodded in reply, there was something about this old lady that intrigued her, but she couldn't figure out why she felt that way. She sat on one of the stools in front of the booth and the lady took hold of her hand and faced the palm upwards. Takashi and Mitsukuni were still far off behind; they went passed her several times because they couldn't really see her since the booth she was in were draped with heavy curtains. So, that made every customer who came here to be secluded from view as they sat down.

"I see a bright future in your life, child," the old lady began. "Your dreams of becoming what you desire since childhood will come true. You will run a very successful company once you graduated from your chosen university. People will seek your help, be it rich or poor," the old lady traced a bony finger onto her palm, "and eventually, you will be married to your high school sweet heart," the old lady smiled at this and Haruhi blushed softly as she casted her eyes to her lap, fidgeting with her kimono.

"But beware, my dear child," the old lady's tone had changed, "there are people who wish to harm you in the future. From what I can see, they are not your friends and those who you might know. These people are dangerous and come from powerful backgrounds. Be careful and be safe, that is my advice to you," she warned.

Haruhi pulled her hand away from the old lady's grasp; there will be people that will harm her? The old lady must be joking, Haruhi's a normal person. She's Haruhi Fujioka, the girl who dressed up as a boy in high school in order to become one of the hosts, in the well-known Host Club, to pay off a debt she accumulated. She laughed nervously at this and her face became slightly pale. She stood up from the chair, paid the fee and walked out of the booth, never even looking back.

"Poor child…" the old lady muttered softly as she stared at Haruhi's retreating figure.

---

"Haru-chan!" Mitsukuni called, "there you are! We were looking for you everywhere," he explained as he rushed to her with Takashi trailing close behind. He then noticed her pale face, "Haru-chan, daijoubu?"

"Un, I'm alright, Mitsukuni," she smiled her hosting smile. Mitsukuni knew something was up, but didn't say anything about it.

Takashi leaned over to look at Haruhi's face; he noted the slight paleness of her skin. He looked at her straight in the eyes and asked quietly, "Are you really alright?"

Haruhi nodded, "I'm alright Takashi, really," she said reassuringly. '_What is the matter with me? It was only a fortune-telling thing, it's never true,_' she thought silently. '_I've got to stop worrying them both, I don't want to ruin tonight's atmosphere.'_

"Haruhi! Mori-senpai! Hani-senpai! There you are!" called an all too familiar voice, "Kyouya and I found the twins on the way here," the self-proclaimed King added, the twins were standing a few feet away from them, each of them holding the prizes they won.

'_I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanked God Tamaki-senpai came,_' she thought as relief washed over her.

"Come, my loyal subjects! The finale is about to start any minute now!" he walked ahead of them up to a hill where the view was best. The others followed behind him, "They say the view here is the best for the finale and I have already reserved this area for us all," Tamaki explained proudly as he took a sit on the grassy hill.

Hikaru and Kaoru opted to sit next to Tamaki because they wanted to see the view clearly, Kyouya chose to seat at the back as usual. Takashi leaned against a Sakura tree with Haruhi right next to him and he put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against his chest as she looked up at the sky, while Mitsukuni laid his head on Haruhi's lap as he faced the view.

In 3… 2… 1…

A streak of sparkled lights illuminated the dark night sky with different bright colors, as the first set of fireworks was set off. There were smiles gracing each of the hosts' lips as they witnessed the colorful event. Hikaru and Kaoru were, as always, excited to see these kinds of things. Even Tamaki joined in their fun and laughter. Kyouya was only smiling softly as he gazed up at the sky as another set of fireworks was set off. Takashi kissed Haruhi's forehead softly as they gazed up to the sky, Mitsukuni went to join Tamaki and the twins because he didn't want to interfere with his cousin's and his best friend's moment. Haruhi snuggled closer to Takashi's side, enjoying his fragrance and his warmth as the autumn's wind started to blow by.

Takashi intertwined his fingers with Haruhi's and whispered 'I love you' to her ear. Haruhi replied back with the same three words as they watched the fireworks together. The things the old lady told her lay forgotten and buried at the back of her mind.

And this marked the end of summer…

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**Author's notes:**

_Taddah~ Finished writing the festival chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do; I tried to add some fluff scenes at the appropriate places, though I feel the fluff wasn't enough. ^_^ So! Review and make me happy, otherwise the next chapter won't be out by next week *smiles evilly*_

_To Mikhail and AnimeBean, I would like to say this: I am honored to have two of my biggest fans in reading this story. I can never choose between the two of you. (lol) But seriously, thank you. You two (and the others as well) are the kind of people that motivates me to write more chapters every week, you motivate me to write better every time. Ja~ ne, minna-san._

_One more thing, I won't reveal what Takashi whispered to Haruhi earlier. Let's just say, it was an embarrassing thing to hear. XD_


	28. MOE!

**Author's notes:**

**Thank you all for the reviews I requested from the last chapter ^_^ I'm glad to know that my readers are still here, following this story's journey. Review replies will be done at the end, and as promised, here's the next chapter~**

**This chapter is dedicated to my 'twin', -****Yuuki-Fukushima****-. I luffles you~ XD**

**Disclaimer:** _See previous chapter_.

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**Chapter 27 – MOE!**

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It was the first day of autumn and the wind was a little bit chilly. The trees swayed gently when the wind blew by, the leaves were slowly changing their hues to match the current season, and several of them dropped softly to the grounds. As Haruhi walked to Ouran Gakuen, she wrapped the woolen cream scarf a little closer to her neck and face; the scarf once belonged to her mother, Kotoko.

Today would be the day where Haruhi will start her self-defense training, since today would also be the day for the students at Ouran Gakuen to start their new term. Before she left home this morning, Haruhi had reminded herself to bring some spare change of clothing for the training later. Just in case things got a little too… hard core.

Once she arrived at school, she was greeted by fellow classmates as well as the customers of the host club; they asked her how her summer break went. After their conversation ended, Haruhi went straight to her homeroom class and sat down on her chair. The morning went well like always, and the twins were up to their usual mischievous behavior though Haruhi completely ignored them and tried to escape before she became their prank victim.

When lunch arrived, Haruhi walked quickly over to the library before the twins could follow her, as she needed to borrow a few books for her research. On the way there, she met with Takashi and Mitsukuni who insisted that they would accompany her even though she was capable of doing this be herself. Besides, Haruhi couldn't say no to Mitsukuni's tearful face when she said she didn't need them to go with her, so she HAD to say yes.

"When will my training start?" Haruhi asked as she placed the books she wanted to borrow on the counter, in front of an old librarian lady.

"An hour after host club activities, I will explain to Kyouya about it," Takashi reply and smiled a gentle smile towards his girlfriend.

"Ah, alright," she was about to take the books from the counter but Takashi was faster and held the books in his hands, "Takashi…" her voice was evidently irritated. Takashi only looked away as if he didn't hear her calling his name; he began to walk out from the library just when Haruhi wanted to snatch the books from his hands.

"Haru-chan!~" Mitsukuni called suddenly and jumped to her back, wrapping his arms around her neck. Haruhi was caught off guard and nearly stumbled to the floor, but she managed to stay upright and linked her arms around Mitsukuni's legs so he wouldn't fall. "Don't be mad at Takashi, ne?" he said cutely, "he's only looking out for your well-being," he grinned.

Haruhi let out a sigh and decided to let it go, there was no use in arguing since she knew that Takashi was as stubborn as she is, well maybe she's more stubborn. "Alright, I'll let him have his way," she grumbled. "Let's go to the music room, Tamaki-senpai might be sending police troops if we're not there yet," she tightened her hold on Mitsukuni and walked out of the library. Apparently, Takashi was leaning outside the library as he waited for them.

Sending a glare towards Takashi, Haruhi walked off towards the music room with Mitsukuni on her back. Takashi only smirked seeing her expression. He could always tell her what he told her that night at the festival if she stayed mad at him like this. (**a/n**: _I bet you're dying to know what it is, don't you? *laughs evilly*_)

---

_Ouran Private Academy is defined by, one, prestigious families, and two, wealth. And prosperous people have much time on their hands._

_Therefore, this Ouran host club is about these handsome guys that have time giving hospitality to these lovely ladies that also have time and profit off of them._

_It's an elegant game unique to this super-rich school._

When the door to the third music room was opened it revealed… a high-class bar, complete with drinks (which only consisted of fruit punches and cocktails, non-alcoholic of course), a bar counter and stools.

Even the environment was transformed; the lights were dimmed a little and a floral fragrance (possibly lavender) filled the air. The pink walls and floor vanished, and were replaced by glossy black tiles on the floor and dark wood planks on the walls. White organza curtains were draped on the large windows. There are five group seats altogether with five semi-round dark red velvet sofas placed around five glossy black round low tables.

One was placed in the middle of the room, the second one was placed on the right of the middle one but nearer to the large windows, the third one was placed near the second one but closer to the bar counter. The fourth one was placed on the left of the middle one but nearer to the door, and the fifth one was placed nearer to a corner of the room, away from the sunlight, away from the windows.

Each host(s) was stationed in each of these seating arrangements. Tamaki would take the middle one because he was the King, Haruhi would take his right, Mitsukuni took the one next to hers and as for Takashi, he was tending at the bar counter (a/n: XD). The twins were on Tamaki's left while Kyouya chose to take the one in the corner, so he could work with his laptop without much disturbance, though he would still take customers today.

"Irrashaimase~" the hosts chorused together as they rose from their seats, and Takashi was in the middle of wiping a crystal glass clean.

They were dressed in black tux like vest with silver and golden threads sewn in vertical stripes. Accompanying the vests were plain (but expensive) traditional black pants. In each of the hosts' chest pockets (the ones usually used as a placement for handkerchiefs) was a single rose in bloom in their respective colors; Tamaki's rose was white, Haruhi's rose was red, Takashi's rose was black, Mitsukuni's rose was pink, Hikaru's rose was blue, Kaoru's rose was orange and Kyouya's rose was purple.

The clad of girls in puffy yellow uniforms squealed in delight as they took in the change of scenery. The scenery was always bright and colorful for the host club's previous cosplays, but this time it was dark and soothing at the same time. It was a difference for once.

"It's so beautiful~" some of the ladies complimented, "the music room really changed, I thought I was in the wrong room just now," a girl with beautiful wavy hair added.

---

As the host club activity neared an hour, Takashi excused himself from the ladies that were sitting at his stationed area and walked towards Kyouya's table. He didn't have any customers at the moment but was busy typing information into his laptop. When Takashi approached him, he stopped his fingers in mid-hover over the keyboard and looked at his senpai when Takashi called him.

"How may I help you, Mori-senpai?" he asked pleasantly. His glasses didn't glare so much since there wasn't much light in his stationed area. But he still looked intimidating.

"May Haruhi and I be excused from club activities?" Takashi asked simply and added, "She has self-defense training today and I promised her that her training would start when the academy opens. This will happen every four days of the week, and I am aware what this will do to the host club's expenses and profit, but her self-defense training is as important as well. I do not wish for her to not be able to defend herself when trouble comes or when I am not there. We will still attend the club for an hour during those four days, and Mitsukuni will join us after hosting activities have ended." Takashi's face was void of any emotion as he looked down at his kouhai.

Kyouya was silent for a moment; maybe it was shock from hearing his senpai talked so much (if that was the case, Kyouya had hid his shock very well) or perhaps it was because he was contemplating on the pros and cons of this self-defense proposal. It was true that Haruhi needed self-defense training, especially after what happened with Tamaki and Hikaru.

"Very well, you may be excused," Kyouya said after he finally gathered his thoughts, "I will handle Tamaki and the twins, especially Hikaru."

"Thank you, Kyouya," Takashi replied gratefully and nodded slightly at him. He walked off towards Haruhi's table and bent down to her ear level so he could whisper to her that Kyouya had approved. The ladies were really curious to know what Takashi just told Haruhi.

Haruhi turned to the ladies who designated her for the day, "I am very sorry ladies, but I have self-defense training with Takashi today. Would you excuse me?" she asked with her natural hosting smile.

The ladies at her table widened their eyes slightly when they clearly heard Haruhi called the third year student by his first name. It took them nearly five minutes to give a respond since they were shocked. "MOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" they screamed and hugged each other in joy before one of them talked to Haruhi, in a rather not-so-calm-but-calm-anyway way, "Of course Haruhi, will we see you tomorrow?" she asked as she calm her racing heart down. The ladies were eyeing from Takashi to Haruhi then back again; there was this sort of creepy but at the same time pleasant smile, as if they were waiting for something to happen.

Haruhi blinked in confusion when they screamed then shook her head to clear her thoughts, "I wouldn't miss it for the world," Haruhi replied with her natural hosting smile still plastered to her face and got up from her chair, "I'll see you ladies tomorrow," she added before walking off towards Mitsukuni's table with Takashi at her side.

The sudden ruckus at Haruhi's table made by her designators had made the other hosts, especially Tamaki and the twins, curious, and they were dying to know what had happened! Well, maybe not _dying_ to know but you get what I mean. You do, right? Oh God! Please say you do get what I just meant! *cries in the corner* *slaps self* this is not the time to make a fool out of yourself! The readers are laughing at your foolishness!

ANYWAY! Moving on with the story~ Sorry about that ^^

"Mitsukuni," Takashi called and Mitsukuni turned his head towards the two approaching figures.

"Ah, Takashi! Haru-chan!" he greeted and placed the spoon he was holding down on the table, "Are you two going already?" he asked and tilted his head to the side.

"Yes," Takashi answered simply and Haruhi nodded in reply. The ladies who designated Mitsukuni watched in curiosity as their conversation progresses.

Mitsukuni turned his attention towards Haruhi, "Ne Haru-chan, don't overwork yourself, 'kay? I'll join you guys later~" he added with a big smile on his face, the pink flowers danced around his head.

"Of course Mitsu, I promise I won't overwork myself. But I think Takashi might make me do hard core stuff," she teased lightly. The slight widening of eyes from the ladies at Mitsukuni's table went unnoticed by Haruhi. They stared in shocking excitement as they registered the fact that Haruhi had called her senpais by their first names (**a/n**: shock!face, NOT.). This kind of development was new to them since they knew that Haruhi addressed Takashi and Mitsukuni by 'Mori' or 'Honey' and this was BIG news. (**a/n**: fangirls…. *sigh*)

"MOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" they screamed and our dear Haruhi was puzzled again.

Mitsukuni grinned yet again and waved good bye towards Haruhi and Takashi as they left the music room.

------

**Author's notes:**

RAWR~! Finished~ Next chapter will be out by the end of next week, maybe. Press that green shiny button down there and make me happy with reviews! Otherwise, the next chapter will take twice as long to come out. Teehee~ Yes, I know I'm mean. *laughs evilly*

**Review replies:**

**Mikhail**: Be patient with me woman! That one-shot is coming XD

**Kaoru**: How long? Well~ It's gonna be pretty long, that's what I can tell as of right now. Probably around 40 to 50 chapters, but I may make it into a sequel, so the story wouldn't drag.

**Narcoleptic11235**: Where have you been?! I thought you left and stopped reading this story D: lol. I'm not upset but thank you for letting me know that you're still here, following this story's journey as it develops. And thank you so much for the compliment! I really appreciate that~ ^^

**Dragonite462**: in due time, you'll know. So, don't worry~

**Sergeant LemoOon**: I will tell, but not right now XD

**Phommabouth**: lol~ calm down, I will tell you and the rest of you who's reading this what Takashi just said to Haruhi. Be patient, it will be revealed.

**LightAlchemist300**: Takashi's words will be revealed XD

**-Yuuki-Fukushima-**: You can share the biggest fan spot with Mikky and AnimeBean. XD

**Scherherazade**: it's going to figure into this story, but I may put it in the sequel.

**LadyGraceC**: YES, I want to know what exactly is going on inside his head. Don't we all?~

**REAL-Ella-Martinez**: be patient, it will be revealed XD and I like to be mean with my devoted readers. Lol~ joking!

**ForcedProdigy**: A new reader to this story! *squeals and huggles* and don't worry, I will reveal it but not soon enough. Maybe~ *giggles*

Thanks to **SasoLOVE111**, **zutarabe**, **Tazzles**, **renga**, and **White-Dragon-of-Hope** for the reviews!

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**Translations:**

Gakuen: Academy

Kouhai: junior


	29. First Day of Training

**Author's note:**

**ATTENTION DEVOTED READERS OF THIS STORY! I ****will**** reveal what Takashi said, but you ****HAVE**** to be ****PATIENT**** with me (the keyword here is ****P.A.T.I.E.N.T****). I don't work well under pressure… *nods* **

**On with the storeh~**

**Disclaimer****: I WILL NEVER OWN OURAN HOST CLUB! NEVER! (See what pressure did to me...? D=)**

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**Chapter 28 – First Day of Training**

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Takashi and Haruhi walked side-by-side along the long hallways of Ouran Gakuen. They were making their way to the academy's sports stadium; it was ten times larger than the average gymnasium located in normal high schools. To say that Ouran Gakuen is a normal high school, was clearly an understatement since it is far beyond normal. Anyway, the stadium is complete with running tracks and fields for long jumps, high jumps, javelin throws and other sports you could think of.

Since there were after-school activities happening during the late afternoon, there were other clubs using the stadium as well, such as those of the football club, volleyball club, ballerina club and blah, blah, blah. Once they arrived by the stadium, Takashi led the both of them to the Host Club's private dressing room, all of the other clubs have their own private dressing rooms as well. He changed quickly into his sports' attire, opting to wear a pair of black shorts and a white round-collar t-shirt, then he put on his sports' shoes and waited outside so Haruhi could change.

Haruhi had never been to the sports stadium, ever. This was her first time she stepped foot inside the humongous building. The words, 'damn rich bastards and their ability to waste so much money just to make this stadium' appeared in her mind immediately, old habits die hard. Taking into account the room she was currently in, which was filled with all the necessary equipments needed for sports as well as an ample supply of sports' attire, she unzipped her backpack and took out the clothes she brought from home.

When Haruhi stepped out from the dressing room, Takashi was talking to one of his kendo underclassmen. After five minutes had passed, the conversation was over. He turned around to face Haruhi and a slight blush developed on his cheeks at the sight of her. Even though she only wore a simple white t-shirt with three-quarter sports pants, she looked absolutely adorable.

"What are we gonna do first?" she asked and looked up at Takashi with her huge doe brown eyes.

"We'll go run a few laps around the track. Is that okay?" he wanted to make sure she was okay with it, he didn't want to overwhelm her with hardcore activities.

"Yeah sure, a few laps sounds okay," she smiled.

Takashi nodded and led the both of them to the track; they had to go on a few turns before they could get out to the track since the building was huge.

Once at the track, they both warmed up before they start the jog. As they did their warm-ups, Takashi was greeted by a few of students there who ran past them. After they were done warming up, they started to jog on the track and did two laps. When it seemed like the jog was going to end, Haruhi slowed down by the finish line and took a breather. Takashi stood next to her and handed her a bottle of water, which seemed to magically appear from nowhere. Haruhi gulped down the water hungrily until the bottle was nearly empty. Takashi quirked an eyebrow up at this sight and Haruhi just shrugged it off while saying, "I was thirsty," in a rather defensive way. He chuckled and ruffled her hair a bit which made her blushed slightly.

"Ready?" he asked simply and Haruhi tilted her head to the side, it was in a way saying, "Ready for what?"

"We have another five laps to go," he replied and smirked a little when Haruhi went slightly wide-eyed.

"But I thought you said just a few…" she muttered to hide her slight irritation. Man, she hated not being fit.

"That is 'a few'. I'll reduce it to three to make it easier for you," he chuckled and Haruhi smacked him by the arm for… not explaining things accurately. "Usually, I'd go for at _least_ ten laps," he added teasingly.

"Show off…" she muttered and averted her eyes to the field, her bottom lip jutted out slightly. Then she decided to ignore him and started to jog on the track. Takashi caught up to her easily with his long legs. They jogged with the same pace, side by side. Haruhi didn't say a word but her eyes kept side-glancing towards Takashi even though she told herself to ignore him, at all cost. Then she accidentally remembered what he told her during the summer festival night and she stopped abruptly, which caused her to trip on the race track, face first to the ground.

She waited for the impact but it never came.

"Haruhi, are you alright?" Takashi asked as he held her in his arms. His face was so close and she could see the emotion in his eyes even though his face was expressionless. The hint of worry was so evident in his voice, that she immediately told him she was alright and struggled to stand upright. She dusted off her pants and smiled her natural rookie smile, "I'm alright, Taka," she said reassuringly but her cheeks were blushing slightly with embarrassments when she remembered that certain memory. She struggled not to let the emotion to portray in her face; otherwise Takashi would know something wasn't right with her.

He nodded and stood up from the ground and ruffled her hair, "Shall we continue?" he asked and she only nodded in reply, afraid that if she speaks, her voice would betray her. They continued the jog for the rest of the remaining laps.

When they returned to the dressing room, drenched in mild sweat (the weather wasn't hot and the wind was chilly), they were greeted by Mitsukuni who was already in his Gi attire. He was seated on one of the velvet sofas inside the dressing room, with a small plate of strawberry cake placed on his lap. "Haru-chan! You looked flushed! Did Takashi made you do too much?" he said and placed the now empty plate to the side while he swing his legs absentmindedly.

"Well, sort of," she replied with a laugh, "I'm gonna go change into new clothes," she added and then headed into the bathroom. Takashi just smiled and wiped the sweat from his face and neck with a towel; he walked over to Mitsukuni and bent down a bit as he got a napkin from thin air. He dabbed the corner of Mitsukuni's mouth and brushed off the crumbs. Mitsukuni grinned, "Thanks Takashi!" he added and jumped down from the sofa. He ran around the room with his arms spread out like an airplane. Takashi smiled and waited for Haruhi to come out of the bathroom.

When Haruhi came out, she was already dressed in another set of fresh clothes. In Takashi went to the bathroom to freshen himself up before changing into his Gi.

The three of them walked together, with Haruhi in the middle, to the Dojo, which was located at the south side of the stadium near the hills. As they entered, there was no one in sight except for the three of them. The students from the martial arts club did not have any training today. Takashi walked over to the wardrobe with sliding doors and took out a set of Gi. He handed it to her and pointed to a door located at the corner of the room they were in. At first, Haruhi was confused. She thought her training for the day was already over. Seeing the confuse look on Haruhi's face, it made Mitsukuni to tilt his head to the side.

"Haru-chan, daijoubu?"

"Ano, we still have more… training to do? I thought…" she trailed off, feeling more and more confused.

"Haruhi, a few rounds around the track was only a warm-up," Takashi said simply and Haruhi blinked at him.

"So… what are we gonna do now…?" she asked hesitantly, feeling silly all of a sudden at the thought of finished training.

"We'll be doing karate today, Haru-chan! Takashi and I will spar together first in order to show you how it's done," Mitsukuni said and smiled up at her with his hands clasped together behind his back.

"Oh… okay," she replied simply and headed towards the room Takashi pointed earlier. When she was sure she was out of the boys' earshot, she scolded herself for even thinking that it was over for the day. She changed quickly so the boys didn't have to wait long. When she stepped out, she was greeted by a cheerful yell of compliment from Mitsukuni.

"Haru-chan! The Gi looks perfect on you~ If I knew better ne, I think you're meant to do martial arts from the start~"

"Thanks, Mitsu. The Gi fits perfectly, how did you know my size Takashi?" she asked her boyfriend.

"It was… a guess," he said simply with a smile and sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. Mitsukuni joined him as his right side and Haruhi decided to follow whatever the boys were doing, so she opted to sit next to Takashi's left. The first thing was meditation. They spent the next thirty minutes in silent meditation with their eyes closed and their breathings even as they cleared their minds of all thoughts.

In Haruhi's mind, she pictured a serene meadow with lush green grass and colorful wild flowers, tiny in sizes, the sky was blue and there were no clouds in sight except for the bright shining sun and the wind was blowing gently.

After thirty minutes were up, she opened her eyes, feeling fresh-minded. The boys did the same and then they stood up, Haruhi opted to sit near the wall so she could see their sparring in a better view. As Takashi and Mitsukuni stood a good few feet across from each other, they bowed down and went into their fighting stance.

Takashi lunged forward in lightning speed, as did Mitsukuni; they seemed to be a blur from Haruhi's point of view. The tall boy brought his hand down towards the small one's neck and twisted his leg slightly if ever Mitsukuni blocked his attack. Sensing the move Takashi made, Mitsukuni whacked his wrist away and did a back flip, landing just a few centimeters out of Takashi's reach before crouching down and kicking him in one swift move.

Takashi managed to grab hold onto Mitsukuni's foot before it connected with his chest and twisted it around. Mitsukuni was now facing the tatami mat but the small one successfully kicked Takashi with his free leg, and sent him flying across the room. Mitsukuni then ran full speed towards Takashi who was now standing up, but before Mitsukuni could do any hits, Takashi grab hold onto his arm and threw him over his head. Mitsukuni landed on a crouch on the floor and Takashi turned to face him.

They both stood upright and bowed to each other, signaling that their short sparring session was over before looking over at Haruhi. All throughout the sparring, Haruhi watched with worried glances and slightly wide eyes. '_Am I seriously going to do all that…? But that looks dangerous!_' she screamed inside her mind and added silently, '_though I got to admit, the moves were pretty cool if I could pull it off._'

"What do you think, Haru-chan?" Mitsukuni asked eagerly as he looked as the expression on Haruhi's face.

"That was… nice," she said slowly. Her answer made Mitsukuni grinned and Takashi smiled. "Will I be really able to do that?" she tilted her head to the side, pondering on what the outcomes would be if she mastered the karate movements.

Takashi nodded once and said, "With lots of training, you will do just fine." Mitsukuni nodded vigorously in agreement towards Takashi's reply.

"Ah," Haruhi began, "Let's start," she grinned and stood up from the floor.

For the next two hours, Takashi and Mitsukuni instructed how to do the basic moves to Haruhi. She was a good student and a fast learner, although she did stumble once in a while. But that didn't stop her from learning; she was eager to learn and had so much fun doing it. By the end of the two hours, Haruhi was able to trip Takashi as she did a round-house kick. He landed on the floor with a thud and smiled up at her, "Good," he complimented. Mitsukuni clapped eagerly and cheered for Haruhi.

As the sun was about to set, they stopped training and went to their dressing room to change back into their school uniforms. Most of the student body went home already and only a few stayed behind to clean up after their activities.

Mitsukuni skipped towards the waiting black limousine, Takashi and Haruhi were walking casually behind him as they enjoyed the scenery and each other's presence. A content smile spread across her lips as the day ended without any casualties. Tomorrow, there will be more training to do and the chance to kick Takashi's ass again. Seeing the content smile on Haruhi's face made Takashi smile as well, he stopped walking and so did Haruhi, she wondered if something was bothering him.

He bent down to her ear and whispered something to her, his tone was teasing and a smirk formed on his lips on the look of her scarlet face. He walked off towards the limousine and stood next to it, waiting for Haruhi to come over, Mitsukuni was already seated comfortably in the car.

The words he whispered repeated over and over again inside her brain, as if the words themselves were imprinted to her brain, never wanting to go away. Her face was a blushing scarlet as she held in the embarrassment and the need to yell at Takashi for saying those words to her. She inhaled deeply and stomped towards the car with the blush still intact.

His words, "Let me play with your body, baby, make you real hot," rang through her mind repeatedly.

She concluded that he was _**ABSOLUTELY**_ tired at that moment.

------

**Author's notes:**

Woot!~ I finally revealed what he said. There, are you happy? TELL ME YOU'RE HAPPY BY GIVING ME A REVIEW! PRESS THAT DAMN SHINY GREEN BUTTON DOWN THERE AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS CHAPTER!

Oops… Sorry I used CAPITALS.

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**Review replies~**

**SasoLOVE111** – I shall explain to you the meaning of MOE. To put it into plain words, it means "the burning desire that fills your soul when you see something that you have passion for. For this case, the host club's fangirls sees the intimate interaction (of Haruhi calling Takashi and Mitsu by their first names) between Haruhi, Takashi and Mitsukuni to be of MOE since they see it as a yaio situation. Plus, since there are three people involved in this situation, they came up to a conclusion that those three are involved in a love triangle.

Hope my explanation is clear to you! XD

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**Translations:**

Tatami – a traditional type of Japanese flooring


	30. Shut Up Tamaki

**Author's notes**

…Hi… Gomen for not updating for a very long time, I know some of you are probably mad at me for not updating since the last chapter _ *dodges a flower pot* I'M SORRY! If you don't want to read this story anymore, then I understand…. Once again, gomenasai! *bows in apology*

Enjoy!

**This chapter is dedicated to Mikky-senpai**, as promised. Sorry for the long wait minna-san! ^_^''

**Disclaimer**

_I do not own anything except for the plot and/or any of the OCs._

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**Chapter 29 – Shut Up Tamaki**

---

It was the second week of autumn and Haruhi's training went well so far, they were still training on karate moves. If things go well in the next few weeks, Haruhi's training would move on to kendo and Takashi would be the one to train her since he is **the** kendo champion after all.

Today, the host club will be having a meeting right after hosting activities have finished. Haruhi does not know what the meeting is going to be about yet, none of the other hosts knew as well, except for the shadow king and the host king (since it was mainly Kyouya's idea to propose this important idea to Tamaki, and all Tamaki needed was a little 'push' to decide the meeting later on).

---

As usual, Haruhi is training with Takashi after hosting for an hour in the third music room. Mitsukuni will not be joining the training session today since they'll be seeing each other again later.

"What do you think the meeting's about Taka-kun?" Haruhi asked as she landed a round house kick to him.

Takashi shrugged lightly before grabbing Haruhi's leg and threw her over him; she crouch landed with a soft thud on the tatami floor. Do not worry readers, she is doing just fine, not even a scratch can be found on her delicate body. She smirked as she stood up, dusting off her Gi before darting towards Takashi and grabbed his right arm and threw him to the floor.

"Trivial," he said simply and got up from the floor.

"Ah, you might be right. It's probably one of Tamaki-senpai's trivial ideas on different cosplays again," she laughed softly.

Takashi smiled softly then averted his eyes to the clock on the wall, "It's time we head back."

Haruhi nodded then walked over to the dressing room to change back into her school uniform. Takashi did the same as he walked inside the dressing room right after Haruhi finished changing. He did not bother to wear his school tie again since most of the student body went home already; the top part of his white shirt was unbuttoned. He walked out from the dressing room and blushed when he saw Haruhi. She didn't wear the school's tie and her white shirt was unbuttoned at the top part as well.

Haruhi caught Takashi's stare as she looked at him, "What? Is something on my face?" she asked cautiously.

He chuckled then walked over to her before planting a soft kiss to her forehead, "Nothing's there. You just look beautiful even after a tough workout session," he complimented and smirked as Haruhi blush a bright pink.

"C'mon, we better go before Tamaki-senpai sends out Tokyo's army force just to track us down. Or worse… the Ootori's Private Police Force," she chuckled softly, the blush still intact. Takashi nodded and chuckled as well before they walked together back to the third music room.

---

As soon as Haruhi stepped inside the music room, she was immediately tackle-glomped by Tamaki. Takashi only blinked, having known the same move made by Tamaki.

"Haruhi! My daughter! Daddy is worried about you!" screamed the ever so dramatic Suoh Tamaki. "Where has the wild giant," he sent daggers to Takashi who stared blankly at him in return, "taken you during all this time?" he blabbered on incoherently.

"Senpai, please get off me before I send you flying across the room," Haruhi threatened pleasantly with an 'oh-so-fake' sweet smile plastered on her face.

The current situation caught the twins and Mitsukuni's attention; one because the twins knew something was about to happen if Tamaki did not shut the hell up, two because they wanted to know how Haruhi's training was progressing. As for Mitsukuni, he only wanted to watch a little show before the meeting starts. Surely, the Shadow King wouldn't mind of a little show now, would he? Of course not, he was secretly wanting Haruhi to throw the blonde idiot king across the room already because that idiot would not shut up since he stepped inside the music room and noticing that his 'daughter' wasn't in sight, he immediately babbled on about rescuing her from the wild giant's, a.k.a. Takashi's, clutches. (**a/n**: Tamaki no baka T_T)

So, when Tamaki did not show any signs of wanting to shut his mouth and his incoherent babblings, Haruhi relaxed her body a bit and Takashi took one step away from her so she could have plenty of space around her when she throws Tamaki. The twins' quirked one of their eyebrows up in question and Mitsukuni grinned evilly while still enjoying his black forest cake and as for our Shadow King, his glasses glinted in the light as he pushed it up the bridge of his slender nose, hiding a smirk as he did so.

Kyouya knew how well Haruhi was progressing in her martial arts training since he secretly and stealthily took photos of Haruhi when she was training, with his trustworthy camera. The photos would be published in their club magazine and would probably sell flawlessly, if that truly happens, the Shadow King will cut off Haruhi's debt by a third.

"Tamaki-senpai," Haruhi said calmly, there was a dangerous tone hidden in her voice. The others seemed to notice it, but poor Tamaki did not.

"Yes Haruhi, my darling sweet daughter?" he replied, pausing from his 'fatherly' speech, as he looked at her from the side (he was still attached to her back and it started to annoy the hell out of Haruhi, plus her back was starting to be painful from the added weight, not to mention that his inconsistent blabbering threatened to bleed her eardrums out. All in all, he was just too close for comfort).

"Shut the fuck up," she said with her natural hosting smile as she grabbed hold of his arm and twisted it around with both of her hands, so Tamaki was forced (more or less) to let go of her (while crying out in pain like a baby) and threw him across the music room with all her might.

He landed some ten feet away from where she was standing. He lay sprawled in a rather weird angle; moreover, he looked like a jumbled heap of dirty laundry thrown carelessly onto the floor.

Mitsukuni walked over to where Tamaki lay and began poking at his cheeks for any reactions. All he got was a twitch or two from the Host King.

The twins dropped their jaws to the floor (literally) then quickly recovered with a 'that-was-totally-awesome-not-to-mention-wicked-Haruhi!' applause. "Good job Haruhi!" they chorused together whilst giving her the thumbs up.

They skipped over to Tamaki, and quickly brought out a camera from their backs (thin air I suppose) and began clicking the device in capturing Tamaki's humiliating and defeated pose.

During this time, Tamaki is still knocked out and has not regained consciousness. He has not also realized what the twins were doing to him. But worry not Tamaki fans! For he is still alive and breathing!

Kyouya's glasses glinted in the light as he pushed his glasses up, hiding a satisfied smirk as he did so. He walked over to Haruhi in long casual strides and stood next to her, while watching over the twins making a fool out of Tamaki. "Very impressive Haruhi, I see your training has actually paid off," he stated with interest and amusement though Haruhi does not seemed to notice it. '_And, true to my word, I shall decrease your debt by a third. That would teach that blonde idiot a lesson_,' he added silently and resisted the urge to laugh mockingly at his best friend.

Now what will the others have to say if they saw him like that? Kyouya will laugh all he wants when he goes back home later.

"Uhm, thank you Kyouya-senpai," Haruhi replied sheepishly and hesitantly, "Tamaki-senpai will not sustain any major injuries though, I made sure of it earlier before I threw him," she added quickly, just in case Kyouya decided to increase her debt for Tamaki's injuries.

"Fortunately, hosting activities have ended. Otherwise, you would have to pay for the profits that we would lose if ever Tamaki is not available for hosting activities. Moreover, somebody has to fill in his spot and where would I find such a replacement at the very last minute. You do understand, do you not Haruhi?" Kyouya added in his awesome shadow-kingly way.

"I do, Kyouya-senpai," she replied instantly and secretly felt relieved that her debt was not increased even by an inch.

Takashi stood behind her and placed his hand to the top of her head before ruffling it lightly. Haruhi looked up at him before grinning happily. She knew Takashi was proud of her even though he did not say anything.

All that training paid-off eventually, but it is not over yet. It is too early to celebrate.

"Now that the matter is done, let us carry on with our next agenda in hand," Kyouya announced as he walked over to the meeting area, "the next agenda is…"

------

**Author's notes:**

And this chapter is done! But worry not, the next chapter is in the progress of writing. ^_^ If there are any mistakes, please let me know.

Review if you want to. But I like to read your reviews; it makes me feel happy to know what your opinions are. ^_^ and to know that you're still there reading my fanfic ^_^


	31. Empty Gap

**Author's notes**

Gomen *bows deep in apology*I've made all of you wait a long time again. I was thinking of writing a longer one for this chapter, since I last updated, just to make it up to you readers. =^_^=

So here it is the next installment (or chapter) of Black and Red Roses.

On a side-note, I'm still working on my grammar and tenses, so if you got confuse with reading it, just let me know.

P.S.:

I was reading one of the reviews for this story and I didn't realize that some of the things I wrote can sound pervert-ish. ^^;;

**Disclaimer**

I own nothing except for the plot and/or any of the OCs. And you can never take that away from me! Never!

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**Chapter 30 – Empty Gap**

---

"The next agenda is about the autumn's highlighted event: the Autumn Masquerade Dance Ball."

"Autumn Masquerade Dance Ball…?" Haruhi asked, slightly confused, as she took a seat between Takashi and Mitsukuni. "We're going to have another dance party?"

"Yes, the Autumn Masquerade Dance Ball!" Tamaki exclaimed dramatically as he stood up from the floor, dusted off his school uniform and walked over gracefully with an air of a confident King. A background of blossoming white roses appeared around him with added sparkles effects as he pose with a hand to his forehead, for… dramatic purposes. (a/n: over-dramatic blonde… *sweatdrop*)

"My dearest daughter, this dance ball will be so much different than the one we held early in Spring," he added, "this dance ball will be the grandest event we will ever hold."

He took the head seat and rested his elbow on the armrest as he rested his chin on his knuckles, while crossing one leg over the other.

The twins shrugged in unison at each other and skipped over to the lounge area, also known as the meeting area, as they took a seat next to Kyouya. All eyes are then fixed to the king.

"The Autumn Masquerade Ball," Tamaki began, "is one of the main events of the year that we of the host club will be doing. This is an approved and mandatory event for Ouran Gakuen," he added.

The chairman believes that such events must be carried out in the Academy, in order for the young to-be-heirs (with the exception of one special student, but technically such events are good for Haruhi, since she would be a lawyer in the future) to familiarize themselves in events such as the dance ball for the rich and famous, so they would be able to know what to expect and to mingle around in case there are future merging of companies between families. Furthermore, such events are quite popular among the students of Ouran that includes both the ladies and the gentlemen.

"Damn rich bastards…" Haruhi muttered under her breath, earning a small smile from Takashi and a giggle from Mitsukuni.

"Said event will be held at the central hall of the Central Building," Tamaki carried on, "much like the previous dance party. Hikaru, Kaoru," he snapped his fingers and the twins stood up while giving a salute, waiting as they waited for their orders. "You two will be in charge of the costumes for the ball, the theme will be something elegant yet modern and of course, formal. I need you both to come up with something extraordinary. Add a touch of Victorian in the theme if you can, which I presume you can,"

"Yes boss!" the twins then saluted and dashed to the other side of the room so they could get on working their designs for the ball. Loud bickering could be heard from the twins as they argued over the theme colors for the event.

"Kyouya, please prepare the invitations for the ladies that come to our hosting hours, and of course to the other student body as well. We don't want anyone to miss out on this grand event. Other necessary preparations should also be carried out if they are of importance," Tamaki carried on as he walked back and forth around their meeting area, with hands placed behind his back.

"Of course," Kyouya replied in a cool manner as he wrote down things inside his little black notebook. He took out his laptop from its bag and began to make preparations: booking the best musicians in the world to play during the ball, ordering the best caterer throughout Europe (nothing less for the students of Ouran), hiring highly professional decorators so the central hall would look at its top best and etc.

"Mori-senpai, will you please inform all the teachers at Ouran Gakuen regarding the ball? As I said before, I do not want anyone to miss out on this grand event," Tamaki instructed.

Takashi nodded once and walked out of the music room, leaving Haruhi and Mitsukuni with the ones who were not assigned to jobs yet.

"Haruhi, for this grand event, you will have to dress as a girl that you are! It is a must! Don't worry my daughter; the twins will prepare a perfect dress for you for the special occasion," he carried on non-stop.

"Since you still have a debt to pay, your gender secrecy will not be revealed. There will be two shifts during the dance ball, and you will be addressed as 'Haruka' during the second shift; you will be your 'cousin' for the night," Kyouya intervened, "and since all of us will wear a masquerade mask, none of the ladies will know that 'Haruka' is actually you," he gave a satisfied smirk at his own speech.

"What a brilliant plan Mother!" Tamaki glomp-attacked Kyouya and rubbed his cheeks against Kyouya's cheeks.

Before Kyouya could even warn him to get off from his back, Tamaki regained his posture and went on and on about the dance ball. When Tamaki was off of his back, Kyouya pushed his glasses up and returned back to his speech before he was interrupted by Tamaki.

"If my calculations are correct, of which they are 99.99% accurate, profits for the host club shall sky-rocket off of the roof," Kyouya stated as he calculated the predicted profits during the ball. "I shall cut your debt off by a third, Haruhi, if you perform well," with that said, Kyouya walked off to do more of the preparations.

"Tama-chan! Tama-chan!," Mitsukuni called out, "what about me?~" he asked cutely with those huge puppy dog eyes of his.

"Honey-senpai," Tamaki said as he paused from his continuous random speech about the event, "please continue to eat your cake."

Suddenly, all the lights went out except for one spotlight that was aimed at Mitsukuni's spot. "You know? He said everyone else is busy doing work," he said sadly to Usa-chan as he ate his cake in a rather gloomy atmosphere.

"Sigh… I have to wear a dress too?" Haruhi remarked. "I bet the rent from the dress will be added to my debt anyway," she added in a slightly irritated way. "But Kyouya-senpai will cut my debt off by a third," she quirked an eyebrow at this part of the bargain and placed a hand under her chin and began to stroke it absentmindedly as she contemplates about the bright side of things to this whole event. After a moment of thought, she shrugged, "Well, might as well do it, I am still a host after all."

Haruhi then walks over to Mitsukuni and took a seat at the empty chair next to his other side, since the other chair was occupied by Usa-chan. Mitsukuni continued to eat his cakes, though now he seemed a lot more cheerful than before.

"Haru-chan, do you want cake? ~" he asked sweetly.

"That's okay Mitsu, you can eat them for me," she smiled back in reply and patted his head. She noticed a few crumbs on Mitsukuni's cheeks and brushed them off with her thumb. He grinned as a thank you and continued with savoring his sweet delicacies.

---i am just a divider, please ignore me---

Twenty minutes later, Takashi showed up inside the music room and walked over to Mitsukuni and Haruhi immediately as he spotted them on his way in. The others are still doing the necessary preparations, and you could hear the twins bickering in the background as they argued about colors, textures, patterns and accessories to be used for the costumes during the event. Kyouya was busy typing away in his laptop non-stop and Tamaki was busy... being his self-centered self.

The three of them sat in silence; Mitsukuni is still enjoying his cakes, Haruhi is in the middle of doing her Math assignment and Takashi is watching over the two of them in his silent guardian stoic way. Seeing that things are all well, Takashi took out a pocket book from his school blazer and began to read it, it was entitled "The Arts of Kendo". Every now and then, he would sip his tea and watch over the two, and when everything seems to be in place, he went over to read his book again.

Ten minutes passed by in comfortable silence, by this time Mitsukuni has already finished eating his cakes and Haruhi is just about to finish doing her assignment.

She checked the time on her watch, and it was 45 minutes past five.

"It's late, I should go home. Otousan will be by home by 8, I need to go to the supermarket to get tonight's dinner," she said as she packed up her things into her bag.

"Haru-chan~ Can me and Takashi come along as well?" Mitsukuni asked with an icing in his tone. "We haven't been to the commoner's supermarket for a while~ Right Takashi?"

"Ah," came the short reply. He gave a small smile towards Haruhi.

"Alright then," she smiled warmly at the two boys in front of her. Takashi extended his arm to reach for Haruhi's bag and held it securely in his hand as he held his bag and Mitsukuni's in the other hand.

"Takashi, I can perfectly carry my own bag," she said with a hint of slight annoyance in her voice, she waited for Takashi to give it back to her, but he held his ground and just stared down at her from his tall form. A small smirk formed at one end of his lips as she began to give up on trying to getting her bag back. Mitsukuni giggled as he watched them, then he glomp-attacked Haruhi so he was piggy-back riding her.

"Let's go then," Haruhi said as she adjusted Mitsukuni on her back, so he wouldn't fall easily.

"Yay!~ Commoner's supermarket~" Mitsukuni shouted happily as they walked out of music room three.

The next ones to head back home were the twins, who were still bickering about clothing materials. Their arguments could still be heard as they walked further down the hallways.

"Kyouya, I think we should head back as well, it's getting pretty late. I didn't realize the time," Tamaki announced as he walked towards his best friend.

"Alright," Kyouya replied shortly and packed up his laptop into his bag, along with his other belongings. Then the president and the vice-president walked out of the music room while discussing about general matters, with Kyouya not forgetting to lock the door.

---I am just a divider, please ignore me---

…_At the commoner's supermarket_…

"What shall I prepare for dinner tonight…" Haruhi trailed off as she scanned the fresh vegetables on sale.

Takashi was standing behind her as he waited patiently for her to come to her decision. Mitsukuni was standing on his heels as he rocked back and forth, while looking at the items around the supermarket. Every now and then he would tilt his head as he watched Haruhi decide about tonight's dinner in her head.

"I guess I'll make some miso soup tonight with fried rice," Haruhi announced after a few minutes of thinking.

Just then, a catchy song was heard coming from her pants' pocket. She took out her phone and flipped it open, a new message has arrived: it was from her dad.

"_Darling daughter~ I'm so sorry, but Daddy will be home a little bit late tonite~ So if you're gonna cook, just cook for yourself, ne?~ Remember to lock the door and don't let strangers in especially that blonde head idiot! Love you~~~ XD_"

Haruhi twitched her left eye slightly and let out a huge sigh. '_Oh well, I guess I'll be eating alone tonight_,' she thought to herself.

"What's wrong, Haru-chan~?" Mitsukuni asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"Oh, nothing Mitsu. Dad just texted me saying that he'll be home late tonight, so I'll be eating dinner alone I guess," she shrugged indifferently, as if something like that did not bother her at all. She was used to it anyway, seeing that there were times when her dad came home late.

Something seemed to light up Mitsukuni's face at what Haruhi told them, "Ne Haru-chan, why don't you eat dinner with us?" he tilted his head cutely to the side and looked at her with huge puppy like eyes, no one will be able to resist such a cute expression, and I mean _no one_, even Haruhi. At first she was really hesitant about it, but with Mitsukuni's powerful pleading (and cute) expression, she gave in to it. "S-Sure… I guess that would be… okay," she answered finally and gave out a small smile when the little blonde boy got all excited all of a sudden.

"Do you want to go change first, Haru-chan?" he asked again after calming down from his excitement.

"Change? I don't mind wearing my school uniform; I mean it's just dinner… right?" she was somewhat hesitant again as she looked from Mitsukuni to Takashi then back again.

"Of course it's only dinner~ But just change ne, Haru-chan? We want you to feel refreshed first," he said sweetly and shot her a grin so wide, Haruhi was wondering if his grin could get any wider.

"Alright then, if you say so," she replied slowly, "let's go home then."

---I am just a divider, please ignore me---

After taking a shower and getting dressed, Haruhi locked the door of her apartment behind her and walked down the stairs, she slide into a limousine where Takashi and Mitsukuni were waiting patiently for her. The door to the limousine was shut by Denjiro-san; he slightly jogged forward to the driver's seat and started to drive in a pleasant pace towards the young masters' requested destination.

There was a moment of comfortable silence before Haruhi began to speak towards Takashi and Mitsukuni, "Ano, where are we having dinner tonight?" she asked questioningly as she watched the scenery past by in a blurry vision. Takashi only smiled at her and Mitsukuni only giggled in response.

"You'll have to wait and see Haru-chan~" was the only thing he said before giggling some more as he ate the cake on his lap.

---I am just a divider, please ignore me---

After what seemed like 20 minutes of travelling, the limousine finally stopped in front of a traditional Japanese (but still majestic) looking building and Haruhi was staring at it in awe and amazement, no words could part from her lips at that exact moment. She stepped out from the limousine as Denjiro-san escorted her out, Mitsukuni jumped out from the vehicle and Takashi walked out gracefully.

As Haruhi's eyes roamed around the threshold, she saw a very magnificent garden just situated a few hundred feet away to her left. There were a lot of cherry blossom trees found inside that huge garden, with stone fountains and water lily ponds. There were even pathways made of cobbled stones through the garden. She could just stand there and watch the garden all day long, but she seemed to remember that there were other people with her to her right. She looked up to see Takashi smiling at her. A small hand clasped her left one and sort of dragged her inside the building. Takashi only chuckled at the scene in front of him.

"Come Haru-chan~ Let's go inside!" Mitsukuni said excitedly.

"Where are we exactly?" Haruhi asked the two boys as they entered the building. But the two boys only smiled at her, knowing full well that she'll protest if they told her where they were going to go earlier. The insides of the building look more magnificent than its exterior look; she noticed that the things inside the building were used to decorate a home, even though most of the items she saw cost more than the amount of rent for her apartment. So, she wondered to herself, where on earth, was she actually?

Once inside, a young woman in a maid's outfit appeared (magically) in front of them. "Welcome home Morinozuka-sama, Haninozuka-sama," she greeted them. "You must be Fujioka Haruhi-sama, it's a pleasure to meet you," she smiled warmly at Haruhi, who was staring at the maid blankly.

"…welcome… home?" she muttered confusedly.

"Oh yeah, that's right! We're having dinner at Takashi's house tonight, Haru-chan!" the little blonde boy grinned up at her, finally letting out the truth. Takashi seemed to take an interest at a nearby bamboo plant placed at the corner of the room as Haruhi darted her eyes to him.

"Come Haruhi-sama, we have to prepare you for dinner," the maid interrupted her as Haruhi was trying to send daggers to Takashi's back, Mitsukuni only giggled at the sight of it.

"Wait, what? Prepare me for dinner…?" Haruhi asked as a slight confusion was etched on her face. Takashi took that moment to explain to her.

"There's a rule in my house that we must wear traditional Japanese attire when we are at home, it's more of a custom actually," he explained to her with a smile.

Haruhi blinked in response, "Oh… Okay, I guess I should go… change now," as soon as those words came out of her mouth, she was whisked away to a room located upstairs in mere seconds. Seeing that Haruhi is occupied for a while, Takashi and Mitsukuni went to their respective rooms (Mitsukuni has his own room in the Morinozuka household, in case he wants to sleep over) and went to change to their traditional attire.

About fifteen minutes later, the both of them emerged from their rooms and waited for Haruhi. While that was happening, a woman, possibly in mid thirties to mid forties walked in to the room the boys were sitting in.

"So," she began, "where is my future daughter-in-law~?" she asked in a merry voice as she clasped her hands together excitedly, while darting her eyes to every direction inside the room.

"Haruhi's changing at the moment, Auntie!" Mitsukuni giggled as he watched his auntie's reaction. There was a slight blush on Takashi's cheeks; he only smiled as his mother went all excited to meet Haruhi. If you are wondering, the woman I was talking about earlier is Takashi's mother, Morinozuka Sakura.

Morinozuka Sakura is a very elegant looking woman. Her raven black hair grows down to her waist and her face holds so much wisdom a woman can bear. She is tall in stature, but of course, shorter than Takashi by only a foot. Her complexion is fair and she can be considered as one of the most beautiful women in all over Japan. She cares so much for her two sons, and that also includes her adorable nephews, namely Mitsukuni and Yasuchika. When she heard about a young lady who has managed to capture her eldest son's heart, she could not wait to meet up with her. Of course, she knew about Haruhi being in the host club with her son and nephew, and she did not seem to mind one bit. All she cares about is when can she meet this wonderful young girl.

Sakura also knew about Haruhi's father being an okama and working at a transvestite bar at night and that by far, is the most intriguing and interesting fact she has ever received. She could not wait to meet up with him, and deep inside her heart, she knew that they will get along just perfectly with each other.

Back to the story, as the three of them chatted idly with each other, the young maid earlier walks inside the room and announced that dinner shall be served in thirty minutes. She bowed down slightly and walked out, only to get back in with a nervous looking Haruhi next to her. The young maid then excused herself, leaving Haruhi to stand there, all alone, defenseless.

The three people inside the room turned their heads as Haruhi walks in.

"Haru-chan kawaii!~" Mitsukuni complimented excitedly.

"Oh my…" Haruhi heard a woman say in front of her, "is this darling young girl who managed to capture your heart, Takashi?" she asked in a very awed voice, as if seeing something beautiful for the very first time.

Haruhi blushed involuntarily as the woman approached her, she decided to stay rooted to her spot and let the woman, whom she presumed to be Takashi's mother, to 'study' her. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Takashi and Mitsukuni got up from their seats as well.

"Yes mother, that is her," she heard Takashi say and she felt Takashi's intense gaze on her which made her fidget about nervously. The blush on her face became a shade darker.

Sakura lifted Haruhi's chin so she could clearly see the girl and smiled at what she saw. "I now understand why this girl managed to capture your heart, dearest son," she chuckled and hugged Haruhi, "welcome to the family my dear," she whispered to Haruhi's ear.

Haruhi's eyes went slightly wide when Sakura told her that. Never in her mind would she think that she would be accepted so comfortably in this kind of family, a rich family of high status in the society. She supposed not all rich people were as stuck up as Tamaki's grandmother and that Ayanokoji girl. Haruhi was thankful for once that her boyfriend's mother seemed to like her, and that she didn't mind her commoner status.

'_One down, the other one to go…_' she trailed off silently in her mind. She gave a small smile towards Sakura and Mitsukuni as they continued to gush about her _adorable_ look in the kimono she was wearing. Haruhi was wearing a cream-ish white kimono with full bloomed cherry blossoms pattern. The red satin obi sash was tied into a huge ribbon behind her back. Her fringe (or bangs) were pulled back with two pieces of hair clips, that had rubies encrusted to them. The whole kimono really complimented her skin and it made her look even more beautiful, if that was possible. Haruhi looks like one of those porcelain dolls sold in shops. Even Takashi had a hard time not to look at her.

Just then the door to the room they occupied was knocked by the butler of the house.

"Morinozuka Akira-sama has come home, and he is currently waiting for you to join him at the dining room," he announced and bowed slightly, then walked away.

"Come my dear," Sakura said to Haruhi and offered her hand. Haruhi took it and felt at ease immediately. There is something about Takashi's mother that Haruhi found… comforting. Maybe she missed the presence of a mother in her life, but now, she had a feeling that Sakura might be able to fill that emptiness easily, although slowly. Sakura smiled to Haruhi again as she let the four of them to the dining room, with Takashi and Mitsukuni following behind them.

---------

And that's it, for now. ^_^ I hope you enjoyed it as much as I had fun writing it. The next installment will be out in probably two weeks, but I'm not promising anything. Ja ne mina-san~

Don't forget to review, but that's just up to you. Just remember that a review makes an author happy, be it a good one or bad.


	32. Morinozuka Akira

**Author's notes**

Thank you for the reviews my lovelies~ I very much appreciate them ^_^ and thank you to those who put this alerted or favorite this story as well~ so, here's the next chapter! Sorry for the delay!

To SasoLOVE111, they have decided to stop, for now. XD

**Disclaimer**

I do not own anything, except for the plot and any OCs.

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**Chapter 31 – Morinozuka Akira**

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"Come my dear," Sakura said to Haruhi and offered her hand. Haruhi took it and felt at ease immediately. There is something about Takashi's mother that Haruhi found… comforting. Maybe she missed the presence of a mother in her life, but now, she had a feeling that Sakura might be able to fill that emptiness easily, although slowly. Sakura smiled to Haruhi again as she let the four of them to the dining room with Takashi and Mitsukuni following behind them.

The dining room has a traditional Japanese interior. It looks like Haruhi's dining room (or living room), but more extravagant (but still traditional) and a hell lot bigger. The decorations are very modern, with cherry blossom branches placed inside large white vases, and bamboo plants lined up the wall. There was a huge painting of the mountains placed at the middle wall.

As Sakura led Haruhi into the dining room, Akira looked up from the dining table. His expression was unreadable as he saw Haruhi. He knew about her already since his wife gushed about a certain young lady every night before they went to bed, Sakura kept on going about wanting to meet Haruhi as soon as possible. Sometimes, when all the family members gather for tea time, one of the topics they would talk about is Haruhi.

He smiled inwardly as he studied Haruhi. So far, he could see that she is a well-mannered young lady, very appropriate for his eldest son he might add. And she is beautiful as well, even if she has short pixie like hair. He understood why she was viewed as a boy because of her hair, but now, she is entirely different. The feminine side of her is really shown in the kimono she was wearing at that moment. She does not get all excited or hyper like many of the young ladies he has met during the occasional business related dinner parties, and that is a plus point.

"Is this the young lady who captured the heart of our Takashi?" he began as he finished observing her. His voice was deep, deeper than Takashi, and almost velvety. It is like one of those types of voices that held wisdom in them.

"Yes Father, this is her," Takashi replied with a smile as he looked at Haruhi for the briefest moment, before returning his gaze towards his father. He wondered what his father thinks about her; after all, Morinozuka Akira is the type of person who likes to keep his views about things to himself.

For a split second there, Takashi swore he saw a smile on his father's face, but it disappeared ever so suddenly.

"Come my dear, you may sit here next to me," Sakura instructed as she went over the dining table and sat on one of the cushions on the left side. Haruhi obediently followed silently because she did not know what to say. To say that her mind went to overdrive mode, is an understatement. Akira took the head seat, while Takashi and Mitsukuni took the right side.

Soon after that, a young version of Takashi walked inside the dining room. Everyone was chatting idly when he walked in.

He was about to take the seat beside his mother when he realized that there was already a person there. He stopped in mid-track and looked at their guest; he realized that it was his brother's girlfriend. As soon as his mind clicked together, a huge grin spread all over his face. He went over to the seat next to Mitsukuni.

"Didn't realize we have a guest today," he said coyly and winked at Haruhi. Mitsukuni giggled and Takashi took interest at a nearby potted plant instead as his cheeks blushed a slight red.

Haruhi's face was slightly flushed as all the attention in the room went to her.

"Now now, don't start teasing our guest, Satoshi," Sakura scolded playfully. Satoshi only grinned in response, though he did stop teasing Haruhi.

---I am just a divider, please ignore me---

Dinner was quite okay, apart from the occasional teasing coming from Satoshi. Takashi's father had not quite say a word all throughout dinner, maybe he preferred to only listen during the conversation. Then when the chefs were about to serve dessert after their main course, did he only start talking.

"So Fujioka-san, how are your martial arts training as of late?" he began.

The others kept their voices down.

"Morinozuka-sama, no need for formalities, just call me Haruhi," she started with a small smile as she looked directly into his eyes, "and my training has been going good," she added. "Your son is a very good teacher, as well as your nephew," she said politely with a slight blush on her face.

"I am still learning though, so my skills are not that great," she added again, the small smile still lingering on her lips.

'_Not only is she well-mannered, she is humble as well. A very good match for our Takashi_,' Akira mused to himself.

"Perhaps, I will be able to see you train with Takashi and Mitsukuni one day," he spoke out. "And I hear you are the top most in ranking among the students in your class," he added while sipping his green tea.

Haruhi blushed slightly.

"For one who wishes to achieve their desired dreams, one must work hard to gain it," she replied back. "I'm doing it not only for myself, but for my father and my late mother as well," she added and her eyes went far off into the distant as she remembered a fond memory. "I'm hoping to give my father a good life when I become a lawyer one day, just like my mother did when she was still around. That way, he doesn't have to work as hard as he is now, trying to make a better living for the both of us," she smiled fondly. "I know he gets tired during nights when he has to work so late, even though he doesn't complain about it. But I am sure that he enjoys his work nonetheless, because that's how my father is. And for that, I want to work as hard as I can as well."

The dining room grew silent then, but it was a comfortable silence. Each and every one of them is contemplating about Haruhi's speech.

"You are a very good daughter to your father, Haruhi-san," Akira complimented after a moment of silence. He is very awed by this young lady for she is very strong willed and very determined about her goals. She cares so much for her father and wants only the best for him. She seems independent from the looks of it. Akira is in no doubt that she will be the perfect wife for his son, Takashi.

"Thank you, Morinozuka-sama, but I feel that what I do now is still not enough," Haruhi replied again with a humble attitude. She sipped her tea slowly, savoring its flavor.

"Haruhi-san," Akira started, "if you insist on being informal, then please, just address me as Akira-ojisan," he sipped his tea again, now aware of the stares directed to him, mouths agape so wide, I swear a fly could get in there.

Then…

Satoshi grinned, Mitsukuni cheered, Takashi blushed slightly, Sakura laughed and Haruhi blush a bright red while laughing nervously.

"Then you should address me as Sakura-obasan," Sakura laughed merrily.

"Welcome to our family, Haruhi-…chan," Akira spoke out with a smile.

---I am just a divider, please ignore me---

The sky is covered with a dark blanket, with millions of stars covering its vast size. Two people in love sat beneath a cherry blossom tree, basked in the shining moonlight. The wind is blowing softly thus making the leaves rustles and a few of the cherry blossom petals to fall down with ease and carelessness.

"How do you feel?" the guy asked, voice full of tender loving care. He fiddled with the girl's fingers as she leaned back on his chest while looking up at the sky.

"Peaceful," she replied with the same tender loving tone. "I never expected for your family to accept me so easily and so fast too," she added and turned around to face him. The girl smiled warmly.

"Well, you are an exceptional girl," Takashi teased and gave her a crooked smile; it looked almost like a smirk.

Haruhi blushed involuntarily and turned around to hide her slightly red face. Takashi put his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer to him. He placed his long legs at either side of her, so it looked like she was trapped and could not go anywhere farther. This gesture made her blushed deeper and she could feel his heart beating rhythmically as she leaned back slowly and timidly on his chest again.

"I love you," Takashi whispered close to her ear and kissed the nape of her neck softly, his warmth breathe sent shivers down her spine.

"And I love you," Haruhi replied softly, the blush still intact.

Both of them then turn to look up at the night sky to watch the stars twinkling brilliantly while enjoying each other's warmth in their embrace.

---I am just a divider, please ignore me---

**At one of the Morinozuka's living room, over-looking the magnificent sakura garden…**

The Shoji sliding doors were opened wide in order to let the cool night air in. A woman and a man sat side-by-side at the wooden patio, enjoying the cool breeze. The moon was shining down brightly throughout the whole land, it looks almost like day. As the gentle breeze blew by, it carried with it sakura petals that have fallen down from their trees, the petals swirled in mid-air and fell down gently to the ground.

"Those two remind me so much of us," the woman said softly to her husband as she watched two figures under a sakura tree in the distant. She sighed happily, remembering those first memories of herself and her husband.

"Indeed they do," the man replied as he too watched the two figures.

Sakura turned towards her husband, "Haruhi is similar like me in so many ways, don't you think so too?"

"Of course, my dear," Akira said and chuckled. He turned to his wife, thus giving those two figures some privacy. It is not considered nice to spy on people, not to mention, rude. (a/n: XD)

"She's perfect for our Takashi, she is humble and down-to-earth. She's independent as well. I couldn't have asked for a better future daughter-in-law," Sakura chuckled.

"Do you still remember the first time we met, my love?" she asked while looking far off into the distant and smiled as she recalled a fond memory. Akira nodded and gazed lovingly at his wife. "We were in high school then, me, a commoner, and you, the son of one of the best martial arts' master in all of Japan. It was love at first sight…"

"It so happened that I was your senior back then. I always saw you near the school's flower garden. You always tended to them, caring them with all your heart and soul and they grew beautifully as a result," Akira continued where his wife left off, "they grew as beautiful as you are, but of course, in my eyes, you are always the most beautiful."

Sakura blush a deep pink. "And you, my love, are one with words, always sweet-talking to me whenever we met. No wonder I fell more in love you," she teased him lightly then laughed.

"Rest assured my dear for you are the only one I sweet-talk to," he replied back and laughed as well.

Sakura took a deep breath to stop from laughing so much, and she looked at Akira, "Many of the boys proposed to me, but I refused them, for my heart is only for you the instant we first met. I knew right then that I wanted to always be with you, and I worked my hardest to be the best in your family's eyes," she scooted closer next to Akira and clasped his hands in hers and smiled.

Akira smiled as well, and brought Sakura's hands close to his lips and kissed them softly.

"And they accepted you. Lineage does not matter in this family for we were once commoners as well; they knew you were the one for me. Now, we are here. We have our own family and our eldest son has someone he loves dearly, just like how I love you," Akira replied, in a very romantic way.

Sakura leaned her head against Akira's shoulder and he put his arm around her.

"And I love you," Sakura said softly, enjoying the warmth from her husband. Both of them turned to look ahead at the night scenery.

---I am just a divider, please ignore me and this chapter is done by the way---

**Author's note: stay tuned for the next!**


	33. Aki no Kamenbutoukai

**Author's notes**

My humblest apologies for the late update, dear readers.

By the way, I have provided links under my profile for certain images of costumes and masks specifically. Head over to my profile once you've done reading this chapter (that is, if you want to know how the masks and costumes look like).

Enjoy your reading and do not forget to review! The one thing that makes an authoress happy is to read reviews from her readers. So review, okay? ^^

**Disclaimer**

Credits go to Bisco Hatori for creating the ever awesome Ouran manga and its characters. I own nothing except for the plot and the OCs.

_No animals were harmed in the making of this chapter._

**Chapter 32 – Aki no Kamen-butoukai (Autumn's Masquerade)**

**At the Central Hall of the Central Building…**

The long awaited (or dreaded, in Haruhi's case) day for all the students of Ouran Gakuen has finally arrived; the Autumn Masquerade Ball is, at last, making its way into their ever so busy schedule.

Preparations have been going well, as expected from Kyouya's amazing management. The central hall of the central building has been fully transformed into a beautiful and magnificent place. The path that leads to the central building has been carpeted with fallen hue leaves and at either side, silk ribbons in rich colors that intertwined marble angel statues with rubies embedded masquerade masks decorated them.

The interior of central hall is fully covered with rich colored silk cloth that plastered the walls. Huge chandeliers, with crystal teardrop-shaped ornaments adorned the middle of the hall. At the far right side of the hall, there is a long buffet table, covered in a dark red silk cloth, laden with mouth-watering appetizers, and in the middle of it, a huge stack of crystal flute glasses were placed there filled with non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. Pieces of diamonds and dried fallen leaves were scattered around the buffet table for decorations.

A few of the people who are responsible for the decorations (hired by Kyouya) of the central hall were still there, adding last minute touches to beautify the area. They made sure that everything is in order and that everything is in place, Kyouya and Tamaki were also there to supervise the workers. The others are somewhere else, doing their own assigned work. The twins can be found in the third music room as they were preparing for the costumes that they and the rest of the host club will be using tonight. Takashi and Mitsukuni were also helping the twins out. Haruhi was nowhere to be found, though it was not really surprising since she dreaded tonight's event.

She was still at home, preparing dinner for Ranka in case he got hungry when he gets back from work later.

If Haruhi could have a choice right now, she would choose not to attend the ball. Although Kyouya would definitely add an amount to her never ending debt, so, she has to attend it even if she does not really want to.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

**At the Fujioka's Residence…**

"Alright, I'm done with cooking tonight's dinner," Haruhi said to herself as she wiped her hands clean on the apron she was wearing.

She turned to look at the clock in the living room, she has a few hours to go before Denjiro comes and picks her up at her apartment. It was decided by Takashi and Mitsukuni that Denjiro would come by her place and sends her to the school before the event starts since they were busy preparing for the ball. It was understood that Haruhi was excused for the day because she will be playing two parts in tonight's ball. So, while the others were preparing for the ball, Haruhi was allowed a time off.

The twins had already sent her costumes last night for the event. They sort of dropped them off in front of her apartment's door. The only evidence that proved the costumes definitely came from the twins was the small (but definitely expensive) card wedged between the tied ribbons of the white silver-ish box. The twins' signatures were written on it, with a short message of, "here are your costumes Haruhi! Don't get them dirty~"

She had not had the chance to look at them yet since she really did not want to get them dirty either by accident or not. She knew the costumes would be extravagant especially for a ball like tonight's, so, why risked opening them now when she could simply do that when the actual time for her to look at them arrives.

"I guess I could do some cleaning for a little bit," Haruhi mused to herself.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

**Back at the Academy…**

"Alright," Tamaki announced, "I think that's all we can do. Kyouya, let's head back to the others and go home, let the workers here do their job. It's time to get ready for the ball."

Kyouya nodded once. Before he went out of the central hall, he walked over to one of the workers and instructed him to get the job done right if they do not wish to face the wrath of an Ootori. Ah, Kyouya… him and his charming yet threatening ways.

Once Kyouya and the headworker went through a few things that needed to be done before the ball started, he and Tamaki went back to the music room to check things out with the others. Along the way, the two best friends chatted idly about random things as they took their time to reach their destination. Occasionally a few girls would appear and chatted with them.

"Tamaki-sama, Kyouya-sama, how are the preparations for the ball going?" one of the ladies asked politely, though there was a slight blush to her face as she looked at the Tamaki. The raven-haired girl next to her blushed slightly at the sight of Kyouya.

"My lady, all is going well and according to plan, so do not worry," Kyouya flashed a charming smile at her and the others, and they squeaked in delight at the sight of it.

"We look forward to seeing you tonight, hime," Tamaki whispered seductively to one of the ladies as he held her hand in his and flashed a charming smile. White roses bloomed in the background with added sparkle effects as Tamaki smiled, and all the ladies swooned thus nearly collapsing to the floor if it were not for them to support each other.

"Forgive us, princesses," Kyouya interrupted politely, "but we have other matters to attend to at the moment. We will see you all tonight."

"Parting is such sweet sorrow, but we will meet again," Tamaki kissed the lady's hand and bowed in a gentlemen's way to her and the others.

The two boys waved goodbye and then began to walk towards the direction of the music room where the others were still preparing for the ball.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

**Back at the Fujioka's Residence…**

_*knock* *knock* *knock*_

"Who could that be? It couldn't be Dad, he still has a few hours to go," Haruhi wondered to herself as she heard the knock on the door. "It couldn't be Denjiro-san either since there is _**still**_ plenty of time for me to prepare for the ball."

She was sitting in the living room, doing her school's assignments. Dance ball or no dance ball, she is not going to just skip doing her school work. She has a scholarship to hold up to, if she slacks off even for a little, who knows what could happen. Plus, she is not the type of person to slack off easily, when there is work to be done; she made sure it was finished first.

As she was about to get to the door, there was another knock.

"Just a minute," she called out. '_Is this person impatient or what…_' she thought to herself. She stopped midway to the door as a thought came to her mind. '_Well, I don't know who that person's gonna be but just for precautions…_' She ran back to her father's room and took out the baseball bat from beneath his bed. She ran back out and placed the bat within her reach but hidden from view.

Haruhi reached the doorknob and swung it open.

"Takashi? What are you doing here?" surprised laced her voice when her boyfriend stood in front of her door. She looked over at the clock on the wall. "Weren't you supposed to be with the others back at the Academy? It's still pretty early you know,"

"To see you," was his swift reply. He smiled a small smile towards her. "May I come in?" he asked as Haruhi stood fixated at the doorway.

Haruhi blushed slightly and stepped sideways to let Takashi in. He removed his shoes and proceeded towards the living room. Haruhi went to the kitchen to make some tea, then she walks to the living room and sat across from Takashi, while setting the tea and the cups on the table.

A few minutes past by without any conversations.

Takashi set down his cup on the table and suddenly stood up. He moved to sit behind Haruhi, picked her up easily and placed her in his embrace. He leaned in closer and buried his face among her soft, delicate hair, sniffing in the scent of strawberries. He tightened his embrace around her small waist, and Haruhi could feel his heart beating ever so rhythmically.

Haruhi blinked once, twice. She was slightly confused by his actions; he was not usually like this.

"Is something wrong, Taka-kun?" she murmured softly while stroking his arm with her fingers.

"Nn," he shook his head slightly, "missed you," he murmured in reply. His warm breath against her neck sent a tingling sensation down her spine. She shivered involuntarily and she could feel a smirk from Takashi.

"I missed you too."

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

**Central Hall of the Central Building…**

The path that leads towards the central hall was illuminated with zen garden hanging lamps at either sides, they gave out a soft glow but bright enough for people to see where they are going.

Some came in groups, while some have partners dangling by their arms.

Excited murmurs could be heard as people walked towards the building. They were wearing beautiful dresses and dashing tuxedos, not forgetting their masquerade masks. The night is filled with colors of all sorts from royal purple to exotic green, fiery amber to ocean blue, specifically the ladies' dresses. All the male population of Ouran is wearing black tuxedo (handsomely dashing I might add), some even chose to wear the vest only (this way, they looked really lean; they want to impress the ladies of course).

There is still time before the actual event starts. And the host club could be found in the dressing room located at the back of central hall.

While the hosts prepare for their costumes, the hall is slowly filled with students and teachers alike. Some mingled at the buffet table, drinking punch and sipping wine of the finest quality. Some chattered idly about the latest gossip, scandals and business deals, while waiting for the hosts to have their debut.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

_Ding. Dong. Dang. Dong._

The grandfather clock located at center of the grand staircase strikes at 8 o'clock sharp, its sound resonated throughout the entire hall. Everyone stopped talking, only hushed whispers could be heard as they anticipated tonight's event, which is about to start right… now.

The lights were switched off and only two beams of spotlight were aimed at the top of the grand staircase, which spiraled down at two sides, one on the left and the other on the right. One by one, each of the host descended the stairs and onto the platform. Hikaru, Kaoru and Haruhi took the right part of the staircase while Kyouya, Takashi and Mitsukuni took the left. As they assembled at the platform, another beam of spotlight was aimed at the bottom of the staircase and out of nowhere, Tamaki ascended towards the others. He took his place at the center (for he is King of the Host Club).

All of the hosts were wearing swallow tailed tuxedos, made of expensive and of the highest quality materials. Tamaki and Mitsukuni wore white ones while the others are wearing black. Each of them has a blooming rose with their assigned colored roses: Tamaki has a white rose at the left chest pocket of his tuxedo; Kyouya has a purple one, while Hikaru and Kaoru wore light blue and orange roses respectively. Takashi has a very dark blue rose, almost to black on his tuxedo (a/n: just so you know, this is why the title of this story is called, "Of Black and Red Roses"), while Mitsukuni has a pretty pink one. And our dear cross-dresser, Haruhi, has a red rose in her tuxedo's chest pocket. Each of these roses seems to sparkle whenever the light shines upon them.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

Each one of the hosts has put on a masquerade mask and each of these masks is custom designed to suit each host. While all of the masks might seem similar, they are very different from each other.

_(a/n: a gentle reminder, if you wish to see what the masks would look like, please go to my __**profile**__ as I have provided some links there)_

Tamaki's mask is white-based with pieces of white silver-ish leaves arranged and placed on the entire mask' surface, leaving the eye parts void, the leaves fanned out to give the mask more definition. Bluish white ribbons are folded and scrunched up together at each end of the mask, and then above the ribbons, an intricate rose piece, made out of silver, is laid along there. A silver centerpiece at the top of the mask, shaped almost like a triangular crown completes the mask. As he wears the mask, his violets eyes are more focused and they seem to shine at anyone who looks in his direction.

Kyouya's mask is black-based. His mask has black paper-like material that resembles a tree bark; these are arranged diagonally to the right. Under the tree bark material, a few pieces of imitative raven's feathers are placed there. Above those tree barks, black twigs are arranged diagonally and are separated by a few centimeters from each other. Pieces of onyx gems, shaped like squares, are laid above the base of the tree bark and the twigs. The tree bark material and the twigs cover two-thirds of the mask. At the left side of the mask, gold sequins are arranged alongside the shape of the mask that is left uncovered. Since it would be rather difficult to wear glasses and a mask at the same time, Kyouya wore lenses for tonight.

Hikaru and Kaoru's masks were almost identical with each other, but different all the same. Both of the masks are golden based, the more to define their golden eyes. Pastel yellow colored lace are laid diagonally on the mask and leaves, made out of light gold, are placed and arranged at one end of their mask, according to their hair parting: Hikaru on the right end, while Kaoru on the left end. A golden intricate flower piece, shaped more or less like a rose, is placed above each group of arranged golden leaves.

Takashi's mask is a black and white piece. Black sequins are arranged on the outline of the mask's right side. On the left side however, the same tree bark material are placed diagonally upwards, pieces of twigs are arranged amongst it. At the middle of the mask, that separates the bark material and the sequins, a few pieces of onyx gems are laid there. This mask looks wild on Takashi and it suits his host type.

Mitsukuni's mask is white based, much like Tamaki's, but his mask is not as extravagant as Tamaki's. No. His mask looks much simpler, and I think it is the simplest mask among all of the hosts. Although it looks simple, there is something about his mask that suits him in a way. Light pink (shiny) leaves are arranged at the left end side of his mask, and above those leaves, there is a white ribbon, folded and scrunched up together and placed there, the ribbon covers one quarter of the mask. Then above that ribbon, a few more pieces of light pink leaves are put there. As a centerpiece, specks of tiny pink diamonds are shaped into a rose.

Last but not least, Haruhi's mask. Her mask is red based; the designs are a darker shade of red with added black pieces. Almost the whole of the mask is covered with a darker shade of red lace pieces. A thin, elongated ruby piece is placed beneath her right eye. And at the left side of the mask, black paper like material, that looks almost like a tree's bark (much like the ones Takashi uses) are scrunched up together and laid there among more pieces of dark red lace. Then at the top end of the left side of the mask, three small red roses are placed there, cushioned by thin pieces of red ribbon. A few pieces of short imitative raven's feathers are inserted amongst the bark-like material.

"To all of you, teachers and fellow classmates alike, who have gathered here tonight to Ouran's Host Club special event: the Autumn Masquerade Ball," Tamaki began as he addresses the guests, "welcome."

All of the hosts bowed politely, with their right hands over their hearts, simultaneously, to the audience. They stood up again and each of the hosts' face has a warm smile gracing their lips.

Cheers and claps roared from the audience. Even the teachers seem to be in full spirit of joy, the truth is, they have not have this kind of event for a very long time now, I mean, nothing of this grandeur. There were only the occasional business parties held in the past and maybe except for that one occasion where the host club hosted a dance party. But even then, none of the teachers were invited since only the female student bodies were asked to attend, it was an event especially for the Host Club's patronage.

"To all the lovely ladies of tonight, be it students or teachers, we hope for you to enjoy this dance with all of our host club members," Kyouya announced as the cheers and the claps died down.

"Let the Masquerade Ball begin!" Tamaki said, in a triumphant manner, "Enjoy this waltz from the students of Ouran's dance club as the opening act for tonight's ball~"

Out of random spots from the crowd, a group of people emerged, ten pairs of boys and girls; the males wearing all black from head to toe and the females wearing fiery amber dresses and masks. The boys bowed and the ladies curtsied, then they stood there with their hands clasped on their respective partners. They positioned themselves in a large imaginary circle. Immediately as if on cue, the central hall is suddenly filled with beautiful orchestral music. The sound vibrated throughout the building.

They glided flawlessly in a circle and each move is synchronized with the other. When a note in the music goes high, the boys twirled the ladies two times then back to first gliding step. Once a consequent of three glides and twirls are done, the dancers slowed down as the music slowed down and one by one each of the host descended down the grand staircase, Tamaki leads and the others followed.

The hosts walk gracefully at different directions amongst the crowd and came back with a lady in tow, they led their partners to the center of the room as the dancers make way for them. The hosts then positioned themselves inside the circle of dancers, so they have a little circle of their own. As the music picks up, the dancers as well as the hosts started their waltz in a much choreographed manner.

Tamaki chose to dance with one of the teachers, her name is Midori Sensei, and she teaches biotechnology. She is a very young and beautiful teacher, in her mid-twenties. Her hair is long and green in color; it is tied loosely in a bun. Her face flushed a little as she dances around gracefully with her student.

Kyouya danced with the daughter of a businessman, of which his father has business relation to. Her name is Sawako. Her hair is long and wavy and she lets it loose down her back, it looks like a cascading river, flowing endlessly. She flushed a little as she dances with Kyouya as he gave her a warm little smile.

Two girls with curly blonde hair and short pixie-like brunette hair danced with Hikaru and Kaoru respectively. Their names are Ayame and Yukari. These two girls are part-time models for the Hitachiin brothers' mother, but they are also customers of the host club.

Takashi is dancing with one of the Kendo members, Mitsuru; she is tall among her peers but just a little shorter from Takashi by a few inches. They gave a polite smile to each other as the waltz around the dance floor.

Mitsukuni danced with a short-haired girl by the name of Aki. They glided through the dance floor with ease, who knew Mitsukuni could dance so well, elegantly so at that too.

As for Haruhi, she was dancing with one of her frequent customers, Yukiko-san. Since Haruhi has experienced a dance similar like this before, although never getting the chance to actually dance since she was 'kidnapped' during that time, she easily danced with her partner right now. They glided and twirled across the dance floor and a bunch of girls (also Haruhi's frequent customers) standing near them feels a little pang of jealousy as they watch Haruhi and Yukiko danced past them. They too wish to dance with their favorite natural host; I am not surprised if one of them has feelings for Haruhi.

Haruhi managed to steal some glances towards Takashi as they past each other several times. How she wishes she could dance with him right now and be in his warm loving arms. She could not help and feel a little jealous as she watches Takashi dance with Mitsuru-san, although she knows she should not have felt that way, it feels like she is breaking her trust towards Takashi. Besides, all of these are necessary for the host club since none of the student body, except for maybe a few, knows that Haruhi is actually a girl.

As the music died down, all of the hosts and their respective partners slowly stopped dancing, as well as the dancers from Ouran's dance club. All of the boys (including Haruhi) bowed down politely their female dance partner, then the dancers disappeared amongst the crowd while the hosts reaches out to more random ladies so they (the ladies) could have a chance to dance with their favorite host.

This cycle repeats for another seven times, so the hosts have danced for eight times in a row now without stopping for a break. Each of the dance cycle is not long; they only lasted for twenty minutes each. The central hall is now filled with people dancing as everyone joined in the fun, smiles could be seen and laughter could be heard. As the last dance song, for the first shift, ended, only then the hosts are able to have a one hour break before the second shift starts.

During the one hour break, all the guests mingled and chattered idly with each other. Some were at the buffet table, eating the exquisite cuisines served especially for them tonight. Some of the menu of tonight's buffet consisted of: royal German soft-shell crab roll, classic Italian bruschetta with tomato and basil, and Japanese gourmet yaki gyoza as well as salmon handrolls.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

As people are busily filling in their empty stomachs and catching up to the latest gossip, none of them appeared to have noticed that Haruhi isn't in sight. She took that chance to go to the dressing room at the back where all the hosts changed into their costumes earlier. The second shift is about to start in 45 minutes, so she still have plenty of time to change into her next costume for the ball and fix her hair. A stylist, a makeup artist and a hairdresser were waiting for her in the dressing room, courtesy of the Hitachiin brothers.

They began to work on her as she stepped inside the dressing room. Somehow, her heart is racing for reasons she does not even know.

Her face is applied with natural makeup that is not too thick, just enough to accentuate her already beautiful face. The hairdresser began her work once the makeup artist finished her job; she puts the chosen wig for tonight onto Haruhi's head, she fixed it so the wig would look natural as it frames Haruhi's face. Once that was done, the stylist rushed her towards the changing stall and assisted Haruhi to wear the dress made by Hikaru and Kaoru.

After everything is finished, Haruhi looks at the clock on the wall. There is a few minutes left before she makes her entrance. Taking a deep breath, she puts on the mask on her face, before stepping out from the room and walking towards the grand staircase where a lot of people are gathered, completely oblivious about her sudden disappearance from the event.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

The other hosts stayed behind to mingle with the crowd to pass by the time and to make sure that everything goes according to plan, well, that's more like Kyouya's job. They knew that Haruhi is currently in the dressing room at this moment; their job is to make sure that none of the guests knew that Haruhi disappeared for a short moment and none of them should know that it is actually her, who is right now, descending down the grand staircase in such a graceful step.

As if a voice in each of the guests' mind said, "Look at the creature who has just descended down the stairs", all eyes turn towards her. Everyone stopped talking and those who were eating earlier left their mouths hanging opened. An intake of breath was heard somewhere at the back of the room and somewhere to the right, one of the male students' muttered "woah…" and since the whole room went suddenly quiet, his muttering was quite… loud to everyone's ear.

Tamaki, Kyouya, Takashi and Mitsukuni have not seen what Haruhi's dress looked like; they too were quite speechless and somehow in awed. Hikaru and Kaoru gave each other gleeful stares and tried very hard not to snicker so loud. They were good at their job because Haruhi looks amazingly beautiful at that moment. Tamaki's jaw is slackened a bit when he watches Haruhi descended down the stairs, his face flushed a little at her beautiful sight. Kyouya, who remained stoic in his expression, could not simply deny the fact that the creature, which is currently making her way downstairs, is beautiful. She does not even look like Haruhi; it's as if another being replaced her and took control of her body. Mitsukuni is also awed by Haruhi's beauty, he knew that she is beautiful but he did not even think that she could be _more_ beautiful than she already is.

As for Takashi, his mind went into overdrive and all those years of practice to remain calm no matter what the situation have paid off eventually. Although he looks stoic on the outside, he could not control the rapid beating of his heart at that moment. His face flushed a little though it remains unseen behind the mask. He is one lucky guy and very fortunate to know that that girl is his, and only his. He will not share nor will he give her away nor will he leave her. He would be the most foolish man on Earth if he did a stupid thing like that.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

Haruhi nearly reaches the bottom of the stairs and she could faintly hear what the people were whispering all around her.

"Bara Hime…"

"She is definitely Bara Hime,"

"I wonder who that could be…"

"Woah… she is so beautiful"

"Is she one of the students here?"

Her long, thick hair is loosely curled at the bottom and they flowed down her back like the constant flow of a river. The dress she is wearing is made out of the finest material and it is a rich and fiery red, it hugs her body at the right places, accentuating her curves. The top part of her dress is made out of satin, is off-the-shoulder and is decorated with pieces of ruby gems at the center and on each sleeve. The bottom part has an overskirt with fabric like shimmering water and sea foam patterns, studded with tiny flecks of rubies along the edges. The inner skirt, which is a darker red, is made out of velvet material and has a fan-like fold.

Her mask, like the one she was wearing before, is red-based. Black metallic leave ornaments are placed on the top and bottom of the right side of her mask. Black shiny leaves and lace ribbons decorated the other half of the mask. Then a black rose surrounded with little red ones rested on top of the leaves and the ribbons. Bits and pieces of black and red sequins are splashed on top and on the roses to give it more of a 'wow' effect.

More mutterings could be heard though Haruhi paid no attention to this **because** there is only _one_ thing that was on her mind the minute she stepped down from the top of the staircase, '_Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip… Oh my God! What if I trip? Why do they have to give me such _high_ heels?_' That explains why she was walking so slowly and gracefully down the steps; she was afraid that she would trip if she was not careful enough.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

Once Takashi came to his senses and his mind stopped being in overdrive mode, he made his way towards the girl who was standing still, if not awkwardly, in front of the staircase. By now, she probably heard what the people were actually whispering about.

People caught their interest when they noticed that Takashi was making his way towards the mysterious girl, they hushed and toned down their voices as if anticipating the next move. Even the rest of the host, maybe except Mitsukuni, followed what the others were doing. They wondered what Takashi was about to do.

Then, he knelt down on one knee and took her hand in his as he kissed it softly. There was a ghost of a smile on Takashi's face as he looked at her up close, she smiled and maybe flushed a little at the gesture. All the guests' curiosity began to increase as they continued to wonder who on Earth this mysterious girl could be.

Takashi stood up and led Haruhi towards the center of the room. As they stood there, arm in arm, the lights are switched off and replaced with a single spotlight casted down solely on them. Then soft music began to play and they slowly danced together, they began to glide around the dance floor as the music sped up and became louder. In their eyes, only the other existed right at that exact moment.

It feels great for Haruhi to be in Takashi's arm as they danced the night away, she wished that this moment would stay forever. They smiled and gazed into each other's eyes lovingly. Once the music decided to change its course, another guy stepped right behind Takashi and asked, "May I have the next dance with this lady, Mori-sempai?"

It was Tamaki.

Seeing that no harm can be done, Takashi reluctantly, although hesitant at first, let go of Haruhi's hands, he bowed down politely towards her and kissed her hand softly once more before handing her towards Tamaki. Both the guys gave each other a polite nod and Tamaki took Haruhi's hand in his and they glided along the dance ball as new music played.

Everyone watched in awe as they danced together, him as the Prince of Light and her as the Mysterious Lady of the Night; Takashi feeling a little bit envious. He shall have the opportunity to dance with her again sometime later, but for now, he will let other guys to take this chance to dance with her.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight Haruhi," Tamaki complimented.

"Thank you, senpai," she smiled in return.

When another set of music is beginning to start, Kyouya stepped behind Tamaki and asked to have the next dance. Again, both guys gave each other polite nods and Tamaki handed Haruhi towards Kyouya. They glided again and danced around the hall's dance floor.

"Hikaru and Kaoru did a really a good job on your costume Haruhi," Kyouya stated, "you look rather… different than the usual,"

"Uhm, thank you Kyouya-senpai," Haruhi said, not sure if that was a good thing or not, coming from Kyouya.

This happens for the rest of the evening. Each host will have the chance to dance with her and as the music changes its course, each host kissed her softly on her hand before handing her towards the next guy.

Next in turn is Hikaru, his face flushed a little as he dances with Haruhi because to have such an opportunity to dance with the person you like, who already belongs to someone else, is so rare and very fortunate. Although he's not going to let this chance go by easily as he savors each moment as they glided along the dance floor. He did not say a word because he could not put to words on how she looks tonight. I guess his tongue was tied up.

Kaoru tapped his brother's shoulder and gave a polite bow. Hikaru laughs and bowed politely in return, then handed her to his brother. They waltz around the dance hall like aristocrats. Haruhi has never has this much fun before, she smiled so much and danced like she had never danced before; there are times when the other guys gets on her nerve, but tonight, they are all very gentlemen-like and for that she felt grateful. She could not wait to dance with the love of her life again later.

"You look great, Haruhi," Kaoru grinned, "We did a great job didn't we?"

She laughed, "Yeah, you did. Thank you to the both of you," she added with a warm smile.

After Kaoru's turn is up, Mitsukuni bounded towards them and gave a polite bow to Kaoru, who bowed in return, before taking Haruhi's hand in his. Somehow, Mitsukuni is different tonight, very different. Usually he would be all bubbly and cheery, but right now, he has that serious expression on his face. He no longer looked like the cute Lolita child, but a handsome eighteen year old man. He gave Haruhi the gentlest of a smile, which made Haruhi surprise a little but she returns the smile anyways. They glided and twirled and glided again around the dance floor.

"You look very beautiful ne, Haru-chan," Mitsukuni complimented.

"Arigato, Mitsu,"

As the music stops slowly, Mitsukuni bowed politely towards Haruhi, she curtsied in return and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He grinned and she smiled warmly. She is expecting for Takashi to come by and stand in front of her so they could dance again. She saw Takashi making his way through the crowds to get to her but was stopped by one of his Kendo peers, probably to talk about something related to the Kendo club. Then her vision of him is blocked by an unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time, guy.

"Fujioka," the guy said as his way of greeting, he did not say her name out loud though just enough for her alone to hear, "may I have the next dance?"

"Eh? … Ah, yeah sure," Haruhi replied in a surprised and confused tone.

'_Does he know me? I thought only the host club knows my disguise…_' she trailed of in her thoughts.

Haruhi was trying to figure out who the mysterious guy is, who was clad in an all-black classic tuxedo with a white lily on his chest pocket. She could not see his face clearly since he is wearing a mask just like everyone else. His voice sounded very familiar, almost deep and has a laid-back ring to it, as if she knew him when she was still a child. Her mind was so preoccupied with trying to figure out who this guy is that she did not hear the question that was being addressed to her.

"…so far?" Haruhi managed to catch. She blinked in response.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you just said," she said sheepishly, averting her gaze to a random person behind his back. She noticed that the people near to them are looking at the both of them curiously. It seems like she is not the only one trying to figure out who this guy is.

He laughed and it was a laughter that she had heard before.

"I was asking you, how has Ouran treating your life so far?" he repeated with a smile.

Then something dawned on her, like a light bulb switched on suddenly in an empty mind.

"Arai-kun, is that you?" she asked in a rather straight-forward manner, clearly ignoring the question he addressed her earlier.

He smiled again, "Yeah, how did you know? It certainly took you a while to figure out who I was though," he laughed.

"Why are you here?" she asked, void of any rude remarks, just a simple curiosity. They glided again along the dance floor as she waited for his answer.

"I was invited here," he simply said.

"But, by whom?" she pressed on, her curiosity getting ahead of her.

"An acquaintance… of mine," he replied shortly and smiled again. He bowed politely towards her as the music stops, "I better get going then, see you around Fujioka," he gave her a short wave and disappeared amongst the crowd. Soon after that, Takashi appeared in front of her with a glass of royal sparkling champagne. He handed it to her and she took a sip from it while looking at the spot where Arai just went through.

"Who was that?" came Takashi's sudden question; there was a slight envious tone in his voice as he looks at the spot where Haruhi was currently looking at.

"It was… Arai-kun," she simply said and took another sip, maybe still wondering what Arai was doing here in an event among aristocrats. She is not being rude really, just curious, that is all.

Takashi showed a slightly surprised expression, but showed no more of it as the other hosts came walking towards them. Some with curiosity planted clearly on their faces, while others showed no interest at all. (a/n: I wonder who are the ones who showed no interests…~)

Meanwhile, none of the other guests dare to approach the mysterious girl in red, who was now surrounded by the hosts. They do seem to notice the absence of one host though, so one of the ladies pluck up the courage to ask them where Haruhi's whereabouts are. A few who are very perceptive noticed that the mysterious girl looks like Haruhi, maybe because due to her eyes. She has the same eyes as Haruhi, eyes that are able to see right through you and eyes that possess kindness in them.

"Ano ne, where did Haruhi-kun go?" one of the ladies asked, she seemed rather nervous and a little flustered to be in the presence of all the hosts around her. Her other friends stayed a few feet away.

Haruhi looked at her; her heart was beginning to beat loudly. She wondered if anybody could hear her heart beating so furiously. She stayed quiet though, afraid that her voice might give her away.

"Haruhi-kun has some matters to attend to, princess," Tamaki replied with a charming smile plastered on his face, looking dazzlingly handsome, enough to melt anyone who looks at him. "He apologizes for not being able to stay long," he added again.

The girl's face turned a darker shade of red, her heart beginning to race rapidly. She forced her racing heart to calm down. "O-Oh o-k-kay," she stammered and turned another darker shade of red due to embarrassment. Now that she looks closely at all the hosts, they seem to be more handsome up close, even little Honey-kun. She shook her head vigorously, trying very hard to clear her clogged up mind.

Haruhi, upon seeing the girl's behavior, sweat-drops.

Then one of the girl's friends bravely approaches them and stood by the girl's side.

"T-then, who might this charming lady b-be?" the other girl stammered, inclining her delicate finger towards Haruhi. Having the whole hosts unleashed their power of good looks towards her as each boy turn to gaze at her with a warm and charming smile plastered on each of their faces, nearly buckled both of her knees. She seeks support from her friend as she tried to stand up straight.

"This is Lady Haruka," Kyouya replied with the utmost charm as he addresses Haruhi. "She is a distant cousin of Haruhi-kun and one of our close friends, although she is rarely to be seen in public due to the strict upbringing of her family and also due to business related agendas," he explained further, hoping that the girls (and probably everyone else) would believe this fact. Since he is called the Shadow King, he can easily make the necessary documents to proof to anyone that Lady Haruka really existed. He smiled a charming smile, a smile that possesses hidden intentions.

"Oh, no wonder. She does look a lot like Haruhi-kun and I think it's her eyes that brought such similarity," another girl appeared beside the two girls earlier. She looks a little arrogant, but never judged a book by its cover; she is actually pretty nice. She did not stammer like the other two girls but spoke with such pleasant air.

"Indeed she does have the same eyes as Haruhi-kun's," Tamaki agreed.

They talked for a short while and all throughout the time, Haruhi kept silent. Only nodding and smiling at the right places and at the right time. Once the group of girls went away (probably to continue their gossip), Haruhi gave out a sigh of relief. Takashi smiled as he placed his hand at the small of her back. She looks up to him and his eyes seem to tell her that she did not have to worry about it. She smiled in return and took another sip of her drink. So far, nothing has gone wrong and everything seems to be okay.

Since the dance has ended, everyone turn to fully enjoy the buffet and drank to their heart's content. The night is still young with the stars twinkling in the distant dark sky. Some people went to have walks at the cherry blossom garden, located just outside the central hall. Some stood talking at the verandah overlooking the garden. While some still dance inside as the orchestral music begins to continuously play throughout the night.

**-I am just a divider, please ignore me-**

"Another successful event, Kyouya-senpai, thanks to your management," Kaoru started.

The hosts are currently sitting at the gazebo, placed near the central building. The gazebo itself was transformed into a magnificent thing; vines of roses draped down from the roof of the gazebo and twinkling little lights, like fireflies, is used to decorate it.

"Then, we should make a toast to celebrate the success of this event," Tamaki announced while holding his glass up.

Everyone else held their glass up and clink them together.

"To us and to future events that we will host," Tamaki added and everyone gulped down their drinks and gave out contented sighs.

All of them started to chat idly about random things and laughter could be heard from them as the twins tease Tamaki endlessly.

The night turned out to be fun much to Haruhi's amazement. She thought at first that she would have felt irritated about this whole ordeal, but then she did not and with the company from the rest of the boys that is sitting at either sides and in front of her, it became an enjoyable night.

Maybe it is not so bad to have attended these kinds of events. Then Haruhi chuckled to herself softly; tomorrow will, no doubt, be another busy day in the host club. She let the sudden appearance of Arai-kun to subside from her mind because now, she wishes to enjoy the company of her lover and the rest of her close friends all night long.

**-End-**

**Author's note**

No, no. This is not the end yet. There is still more to come, do not worry. So, do your thing and review this chapter, pretty please with a cherry on top? Stay tune for the next. And oh, updates will be irregular starting from now because I'm going to start to enroll at a local university, so I may not have much of free time on my hands, but I will update, _at least_ once a month.

_Lots of love,_

_Yuuna Arashi. _


	34. Yume

**Author's note**

As promised, before the month is up, here's another chapter for you lovely readers. Sorry it took a while, I've been busy with university admissions and orientation week, and I'm still not used to the fact that I am really in university right now. Lol. I need to get use to this.

Honest to say, I'm running out of ideas to extend this story, so I might have to end it soon, just a few more chapters and it's all over….

Lol! I'm just kidding! Did you really believe that I would end this so soon? Anyway! Here's the next chapter, enjoy! *snickers*

And just a little note, Takashi is pretty romantic in this chapter. So he might be a little OOC.

Oh and another thing, the length for each chapter for this story really depends on my muse and my ideas. 2k+ words will be my minimum amount. So feel free to give me any ideas if you have any, just in case I ran out of them. K? ^_^

**Chapter 33 – Yume (Dream)**

Takashi awoke to the sunlight penetrating through his large (from floor to ceiling) window. He blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the day's early brightness. The weight he had begun to realize occupying the top of his chest pulled him to consciousness. He looked down and saw the top of Haruhi's head; the soft snores emanating from the girl sleeping in his arms made him smile gently. He wondered what had happened last night, but seeing that he could not recall anything, he decided to leave it be for a while. For the meantime, he will enjoy the warmth from the girl whose palm rested comfortably above his beating heart.

He reached in and picked at the few strands of hair that fell onto her face, caressing her skin softly. He sighed in contentment; reveling at the tingling feeling he had in the pit of his stomach as the sunlight hits Haruhi's beautiful, angelic face.

He studied her face and every aspect of her features as she sleeps. _Your beauty is so rare, a beauty I wouldn't be able to forget even if I wanted to_, he thought as he softly caressed the side of her face with his fingers. Haruhi sighed in her sleep, a sigh of contentment as Takashi lingered his touch for a little bit longer. _And these lips_, he slightly trembles as he touched her lips with his thumb, _never would these lips be touched by any other than my own nor would my lips to someone else's. _

Haruhi moved slightly in her sleep, softly mumbling incoherent things, probably responding to the dream she is currently having, a dream that Takashi would not know or hear of. Her eyelashes flutter and accidentally tickled Takashi's bare skin, and yet he did not seem to mind, in fact the touch (even though little) sent a jolt of tingly feeling up his spine.

He caressed her cheekbone softly with his thumb and Haruhi stirred awake. He smiled gently down towards her, gazing at her with longing and loving eyes. She blinked her eyes open, shaking the sleepy feeling off. She looked up and smiled warmly towards him.

"Ohayo Taka-kun," she greeted.

"Ohayo Haru-hime," he replied.

She grinned and propped herself up on his bed using her right elbow.

"Slept well?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side in a cute manner.

"Hn," he nodded, smiling softly.

Moments had passed by in comfortable silence as the both of them just lay in bed, gazing at each other. He reached out towards her and placed his hand on the side of her face, cupping her face as he did so and caressed it again with his thumb. There was a look of slight confusion on Haruhi's face as she looked up at Takashi, probably wondering what was wrong.

He leaned in towards her slowly, still holding onto her gaze and his hand on the side of her face. He sighed in contentment, watching her, loving her at every minute of his life. As he leaned in closer, Haruhi seem to know what he was about to do, so she closed her eyes slowly and waited for his soft lips to touch hers.

There was only a few centimeters left and Haruhi waited patiently with anticipation and closed eyes.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes just as Takashi was about to kiss her.

"Wake up, Taka-kun…" she whispered softly and placed a chaste kiss to his lips. "Wake up…" she whispered again, smiling cheekily.

**-~- you should know by now, that I am just a divider -~-**

"Taka-nii!" someone shouted as Takashi dreamed on in his sleep.

Satoshi shook his brother's body to wake him up.

"Wake up Taka-nii! Or you and Haru-nee will be late for school! You gotta pick her up at her place remember?" Satoshi practically shouted in Takashi's ear.

"Hnngh…" Takashi rumbled as he slowly sat up on his bed. He blinked twice and looked out his large window; the trees are softly swayed by the blowing autumn air. He turned sideways and stared at his brother for a few seconds and then smiled gently to him as if recalling a very nice dream. He got up from his bed and headed towards his bathroom and patted Satoshi's head along the way.

Satoshi stared back in confusion at his brother's retreating figure.

"What just happened?" he asked himself. "Did I miss something?" he asked again, the same confused expression plastered on his face. "Oh well," he shrugged and walked out from his brother's room with a grin on his face.

"Taka-nii's awake, Mom!" Satoshi called out.

**-~- I am just a divider; please ignore me -~-**

A few weeks had already past and the masquerade ball was long over, it became a great memory for all students and teachers of Ouran Gakuen. Winter is almost here as the air is evidently getting cooler each day and signs of the first snow of the year are beginning to show.

Takashi wrapped the black and gray hand-knitted, checkered scarf, which was made from the finest wool material, tighter around his neck; it was loose enough for him to breathe easily without gasping for air. He adjusted the leather gloves he is currently wearing so they would fit comfortably along the outlines of his fingers.

He is currently sitting at the back seat in his private car, a sleek Mercedes Guard, looking out at the scenery through his window as he is on his way to pick Haruhi up at her place. Mitsukuni did not join him since he wanted to give Takashi some alone time with Haruhi, so he is riding in his own private limousine with Usa-chan by his side.

His thoughts drifted back to the dream he had this morning, recalling and etching the memories of that dream into his own memory by permanent means. A gentle, contented smile lingered at his lips. The dream seemed so real and vivid, it was hard for him to believe that it was actually a dream because he wanted it to be real, he wanted those moments he had with Haruhi to be real.

The thought of Haruhi waking up by his side will be the very best thing that would ever happen to him and he cannot wait for that day to come. He wondered on about how it would feel like to actually see Haruhi in their own home, cooking at their own kitchen, watching television at their own living room. He knows that he will feel satisfied to have her by his side everyday; he knows that he will love the feeling to see Haruhi wake up in his embrace as they sleep together until the morning sun rises from the horizon; he knows, now and thereafter, that he will be the luckiest man in the world to have her as his wife one day.

As Takashi carried on with his thoughts about the future which includes Haruhi, the car slowed down and stopped in front of Haruhi's apartment.

"Takashi-sama, we have arrived at Haruhi-sama's apartment," Denjiro announced and by doing so, reeled the young master back to reality.

Takashi nodded and as he stepped out of the car, cold air hit him in the face, although it seems like it does not have any effect on the young man. He adjusted the scarf so it would cover half of his face, before making his way up towards Haruhi's unit. He knocked gently and almost as quietly on the door though he knows that the occupants inside would be able to hear it. The door swung opened and Takashi is greeted by a happy-looking Ranka with a free-stubble face.

It seems like Ranka has a day off today since he should be in his work attire at around this time.

"Ah! Takashi-kun~ come in, come in! You're just in time~" Ranka greeted in his Ranka-like ways. Even at his off days, Ranka never fails to play the part as an okama. He ushered Takashi in towards the living room. "Haruhi will be out in just a minute~ why don't you just sit there and get comfortable? I'll go make some tea," he added before Takashi could even protest. He sauntered to the kitchen and hummed a cheery tune while he makes some tea.

While Ranka is busy in the midst of making tea for the three of them, and some toast (he fails at cooking, but toast he can do), Haruhi walked out from her bedroom while wrapping a red winter scarf around her neck. That scarf was a gift from Ranka; he bought it for her during one of his shopping adventures with Misuzu-chi. She did not notice that Takashi is already there, sitting by the small dining table in the living room.

"Morning Dad," Haruhi greeted as she made her way to the kitchen, her back was to the living room, "were you talking to someone just now? I heard people talking a few minutes ago."

"Morning Haruhi~" Ranka greeted back, "yes, I was talking to someone. That someone happens to be your boyfriend," he inclined his head to the living room direction. Haruhi blinked and spun around.

"Oh! Takashi, when did you arrive?" she walked over to the living room while carrying the tray of tea in her hands. She took her place next to Takashi while Ranka sat across from them.

"A few minutes ago," he replied with one of his small, gentle smiles. He took the tea Haruhi offered him. "Thank you for the tea, Ranka-san," he added and took a sip.

"Ah, you don't have to be so polite Takashi-kun~!" Ranka smiled brightly, "you're part of this family now, so make yourself at home~" he added cheerily and took a sip from his tea as well. He hummed another cheery and happy tune as he drinks while watching the exchange of expressions between his daughter and the young man every now and then.

'_At least it's not that idiot bug,_' Ranka thought silently and rather smugly, '_I don't know what I'll do if Haruhi chooses to date that bug instead. I would have probably harassed him and stomped at that face of his so much._' An evil smile cross Ranka's face for a split second then it vanishes as it appears. '_I know Takashi-kun will take care of my baby girl_,' he looks over at Takashi and Haruhi, they were conversing silently in their own ways, '_I would be glad to hand over my baby to him one day, knowing that she'll be kept safe from harm's way. She will be the most beautiful bride, just like her mother was…_' his thoughts trail off.

'_Kotoko honey, are you watching us now? If only you were able to meet Takashi-kun, he's such a nice young man and I know you'll like him too, just as I do. He protects our baby girl from any harm, I could see it from his eyes and by the way he looks at her and by the way he treats her, it's as if she is the most precious diamond out there among other stones. It feels like he would be damned if anything were to happen to our baby under his watch. I know he would do anything to keep her safe, especially if I'm not around,_' he smiled gently as he conversed with his late wife in his mind.

"You kids better get going, you don't wanna be late for school now do you?" Ranka started.

"Alright Dad, I'll see you at home later, 'kay?" Haruhi got up and gave a kiss on Ranka's forehead. Takashi got up as well and bowed slightly towards Ranka in respect, then proceeded towards the front door as he puts his shoes on. Haruhi slid into her shoes and turned her head back to her father as she is about to go out, "Itte kimasu," she said cheerfully.

"Itte raisshai," Ranka replied and waves good bye to his daughter.

Just as the front door closes and the sound of two people descending the stairs, Ranka got up and stretched for a few seconds before declaring, "Yosh! Time for another shopping trip with Misuzu-chi! I wonder what I'll be able to find for Haruhi this time~?"

**-~- are you still reading me? But I'm just a divider -~-**

The ride to the academy is quite pleasant; both only stayed quiet, enjoying each other's company. Takashi put one arm around Haruhi as she shivered slightly due to the cold autumn-winter air despite the fact that the heater was already switched on inside the car. Haruhi snuggled close to Takashi; she looked up at him with those huge adorable brown eyes of hers and smiled a contented smile. He kissed the top of her head softly and breathed in the fragrance of strawberry of her hair.

Time seems to be moving faster than they thought because just as they were about to get comfortable with each other, they have arrived in front of the academy.

Denjiro got out from the front and opened the back door for his young master and the lady. Have I told you that Denjiro-san knows about Haruhi's secret on dressing as a male at the academy? Well, if I haven't told you, Denjiro-san actually knows. He finds the idea quite amusing actually; do the students not know that Haruhi is actually a girl? It is quite obvious though. He laughed silently at the thought. He shut the door after the young master and the lady got out and as he is about to go to the front, his young master walked towards him and started to talk in a small voice, probably so that Haruhi would not be able to hear him.

"Denjiro-ojisan, could you bring my car later once you've sent it to the workshop and park it at the academy's parking lot? I plan to bring Haruhi out once school is over," Takashi requested. He called Denjiro, ojisan, because he respected him as Denjiro is part of his family. The old man has been with his family since he was still just a child.

"Of course, Takashi-sama," Denjiro replied with a smile. "I shall bring your car later afternoon then," and with that said, he got into the car and sped off to do his morning errands.

**-~- and that is the end for this chapter -~-**

Stay tune for the next! ^_^

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	35. Hashi no Kakera

**Author's Note**

Hi. _*sheepish smile*_ Miss me? ^_^"

**Chapter 34 – Hashi no Kakera (Star Fragments)**

Takashi and Mitsukuni just finished practicing kendo and martial arts at the academy's dojo and were now walking in a natural pace towards the music room, where hosting activities were about to start in an hour. The others were already there when the seniors arrived. But there was still no sign of Haruhi.

'_I wonder where Haruhi is_,' Takashi thought to himself as he took a quick scan around the music room, seeing that his kanojo* was nowhere in sight. Mitsukuni looked up to Takashi, noticing that his cousin seem a tiny bit agitated and said cheerily, "Don't worry Takashi, she'll come soon. Haru-chan is just probably running a bit late again." He grinned up at his cousin and Takashi patted him on the head and gave him a small smile before walking over to their designated area with Mitsukuni already in front, skipping merrily with Usa-chan in his tiny hand.

The twins were seen being busy doing clothing sketches for their mother, for the upcoming Winter Fashion Collections. They were discussing what colors to use for this year's collections. This is one of the times, maybe the ONLY time that the twins are being really serious. Other times, you know what they would do: plotting up pranks on Tamaki behind the king's back. Tamaki, on the other hand, was seen experimenting with commoner items; he seemed to be enjoying himself so much up until to the point of bothering Kyouya, who was as usual busily typing away on his Pineapple laptop, with his usual eccentric behavior of a child who just found a rare treasure.

"Look Kyouya! Have you ever tested one of these things? They are quite marvelous and a brilliant idea! Whoever came up with it should be awarded a medal!" said Tamaki, with his over-enthusiastic attitude, shoving the commoner item, which happens to be chopsticks attached together with a spring at one of it ends, in front of Kyouya's face.

"Tamaki," Kyouya began, glasses already dangerously glinted, "if you don't stop shoving that commoner item in my face for the next five minutes, I will kill you with my bare hands."

Tamaki retreated back his hand and pouted like a puppy. "Kyouya no fun…" he continued to pout.

"Shut up." Kyouya sighed heavily, '_why am I exactly best friends with this idiot?_' and continued typing away on his laptop.

_**Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy…**_

"Yawn~… Ugh. What time is it?" Haruhi asked herself blearily, she rubbed her eyes with her fists in order to wake them up. She then looked at her watch and her eyes were wide, "I'm late!" she shrieked inside the library. Normally, people would shush her if it was a normal library, but in this case, it was **not **a normal library. '_Luckily, this part of the library has less people roaming around, I was able to study as much as I needed to today_,' she thought to herself while smiling happily, as she had accomplished one of her daily goals. She hurriedly packed her belongings into her bag, and then made a quick mental check if she got everything already before running for dear life to the music room, where the other hosts were probably already preparing to welcome the guests.

_**Now back to the music room…**_

Haruhi panted breathlessly as she arrived at the music room.

"Haru-chan~!"Mitsukuni greeted happily from across the room as he looked towards the door. Takashi smiled at the sight of his girlfriend and stood up from his sofa, waiting for her to come over.

"You're late," Kyouya said, without even bothering to look up from his laptop. He continued to tap away on his keyboard, entering immense amounts of data of God knows what.

"Sorry Kyouya-senpai, I was finishing up my work at the library earlier," Haruhi announced as she walked over to her designated area, now combined with Takashi and Mitsukuni, and collapsed onto the sofa as a result from sprinting all the way coming to the music room.

She smiled happily as she gazed up at her boyfriend before taking the glass of water offered by him. She drank it greedily, quenching her thirst from the sprint she just did.

"Ne Haruhi, you look awful," said Hikaru.

"You okay Haruhi?" Kaoru asked, always the caring one, as he looked over to the figure now lay sprawled across the sofa.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just need to catch my breath a bit," she answered somewhat tiredly, waving a hand nonchalantly at their direction as she leaned back on the sofa.

"HARUHI NEEDS A DOCTOR!" Tamaki shouted frantically, much to Haruhi's annoyance, he then pointed a finger to Kyouya, "Kyouya! Get one of your best doctors to come here! Haruhi has fallen sick~!" Tamaki started running around in panic. The twins looked at their king as he ran around the music room, shouting about Haruhi going to somehow die from tiredness.

All of a sudden, an empty bottle of water hit Tamaki square on the face. Tamaki wailed dramatically from the pain.

Haruhi shot him a death glare, "Do I look like I'm dying, Senpai?" she asked, daring him to answer back. Tamaki then proceeded to one of the corners of the room and let out a very depressing aura and random sniffles once in a while. Everyone sweat dropped at the sight.

"Alright everyone, places," Kyouya announced. Tamaki rejoiced back to his usual self and took the center stage among everyone else as they were preparing to welcome the guests in today's hosting activities.

"Irrashaimase~" the hosts greeted warmly with beautiful prince-like smiles on their plastered on their faces and a wave of rose petals swirled as the double doors to the music room opened once again.

_**A few hours later after hosting activities…**_

"Good bye my fairest maiden, parting is such sweet sorrow," Tamaki kissed the hand of one of their patronage as white roses bloomed in the background, "until next time," before closing the door to the music room as the last of their customers left. He could hear the girl sighing in content against the door and started squealing with her friends about today's hosting activities. Tamaki gave out a smile. It is always important to him to make their guests as happy as possible. Well, that is Tamaki for you.

"Man, today's such a long day," Hikaru slumped against the sofa, stretching out his arms as he let the tension on his muscles loose a bit.

"Is it me, or was today's hosting activities longer than before?" Kaoru quirked up an eyebrow, while looking towards Kyouya, already knowing that this might be the Shadow King's plotted schemes to boost up the club's profits.

"Nonsense Kaoru, today is as normal as before," Tamaki interjected in his prince-like manner, "besides, it is our duty to give our customers the happiness they wish to have. That is one of our jobs as a host, isn't that right Kyouya?" Tamaki grinned towards his best friend, secretly hoping that Kyouya will agree with it so that he can prove a point to the others, especially to the twins. (**A/N**: I don't even know what point he's trying to prove =w=")

"You're right Tamaki," Kyouya replied, surprising everyone else except for a gleeful over exuberant Tamaki because his best friend was on his side. "But I see no harm in boosting up our club's profits along the way. It's like killing two birds with one stone," he smirked and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and it glinted in the light. Kyouya, always the ever scheming Shadow King.

The other hosts sweat dropped from the Shadow King's remark. '_Shadow King…_' everyone thought silently, except for Tamaki of course. He was in his own world right now since his best friend agreed with him after such a long time. I doubt that he heard what Kyouya was saying next though.

"Well," Kyouya started as he packed his things, "last one out please switch off the lights," and began walking towards the door. "Ja ne!" the twins immediately left to go home, running through the halls, not wanting to be the last one out. Tamaki followed suit, catching up with Kyouya as he animatedly talked about today's activities. Kyouya continued to walk without even bothering to reply to Tamaki.

"I'm gonna go now too," Mitsukuni announced as they were the only ones left behind, "Takashi, take care of Haru-chan ne? Make sure she gets home safely after… you know," he winked to his cousin who smiled sheepishly in return. Haruhi had no clue what they were talking about but hugged Mitsukuni anyway as he left the music room. "See you next week Mitsu," Haruhi said as she hugged him and waved good bye. "Bye Haru-chan~ Bye Takashi!" Mitsukuni said as he waved good bye, with Usa-chan in hand, and walked out towards the door, leaving Haruhi and Takashi behind.

"Well, I think we should go home now too," Haruhi smiled up at Takashi who just looked at her. If Haruhi was observant enough, she could probably see the very soft tinge of pink hue across Takashi's face.

"Haruhi," Takashi called as he tried very hard to stay in composure.

Haruhi tilted her head slightly to the side, "Something wrong Takashi?" she looked up at him with her brown doe-like eyes. If only she knew what that effect has on Takashi.

'_Damn she's adorable… hmm. How do I say it to her?_' Takashi thought silently as he gazed at the girl who had captured his heart every single time without so much of an effort. He inhaled a deep breath and let it out. "Haruhi…" Takashi started, he doesn't even know why he was so nervous at that moment, and it wasn't like this was the first time they went out. Haruhi just stood there, continuing to look up at with her doe-like eyes. "I was thinking… that we could go… somewhere first before I send you home," he continued, gazing at her intently, showing her how much he loves her.

"Oh," was all she could manage and suddenly smiled shyly, "where are we going?" she asked, suddenly feeling all shy and embarrassed, averting her gaze from her boyfriend every now and then. It was like Takashi's gaze on her felt so intense that all of a sudden, she was feeling sheepish about it. _'What the hell Haruhi,'_ she thought to herself, _'why are you suddenly acting like this? You're a Fujioka for God's sake! It's not like this is the first time you and Takashi went out on a… date. And stop fidgeting! He's just looking at you with that oh so mesmerizing gray eyes of his…'_ she finished in her thoughts and a faint pink blush formed on her face.

"That's a… surprise," Takashi smiled crookedly towards her.

Haruhi's blush deepened another shade darker and quickly looked somewhere else other than on her boyfriend.

Takashi seemed concerned at Haruhi's behavior so he bent forward towards her level and looked at her with concern and love in his eyes. "Haruhi?" he asked in a husky whisper, his breath blowing softly against her face as he spoke her name.

"Y-yes?" Haruhi asked timidly, her face now a very deep shade of pink, averting her eyes away from his penetrating gaze.

"Are you alright? If this is not okay with you, we can just go home," he offered, trying his best to mask his disappointment if Haruhi disagreed. Deep down, he really wanted her to say yes about the… date. Well, if this could actually be called a date to begin with. After all, he was planning tonight for a very long time now; he was just waiting for the right moment. Much to his favor tonight would be one of the best nights on what he was planning to do. He really hopes Haruhi would agree.

"N-No!" she immediately answered, hearing the masked disappointment in his voice, "I'm fine Takashi," she reassured him, "let me go freshen up a bit," she smiled softly towards him and was beginning to walk towards the bathroom inside the music room before Takashi stopped her. She tilted her head to the side, silently asking in her own way on what was wrong now. Takashi held out a bag towards her and waited for her to take it.

"Ranka gave me this earlier," he held the bag towards her, "I think he left a note in there for you," he smiled that crooked smile again that made Haruhi all flustered. She took the bag from him and held out a note that read:

_'Haruhi~ here's a change of clothes for your date tonight~! Daddy picked this out especially for you~ how did I know you'll have a date tonight you ask? Well Haruhi, its daddy's job to know. Besides, Takashi-kun told me about it earlier~ Well have fun now~! P.S. I'll be home not until tomorrow night or maybe over the weekend but Takashi will stay with you afterwards and over the weekend too. Daddy has business to do at work ^_^ you take care okay? Daddy loves you! Be safe~ and no funny stuff!'_

Haruhi sweat dropped after she finished reading the note her dad left for her. "I'll be right back," Haruhi told Takashi and pecked him on the cheek. "I'll be right here," he replied back with that same crooked smile again.

_**Ten minutes later…**_

Haruhi walked out of the bathroom wearing dark colored skinny jeans, a gray v-neck shirt that hugged her body snuggly and over the shirt, she wore a fitting white v-neck, long-sleeved buttoned cardigan. To complete her look, she wore white ballerina flats and wrapped a checkered black and red woolen scarf around her neck. "I'm ready Taka- when did you change?" she quirked up an eyebrow towards him. He was wearing black denim jeans, a white long sleeved v-neck shirt under his leather jacket. He wrapped the scarf he was wearing earlier around his neck. He just smiled at her as a reply. "Are you ready love?" Takashi asked waiting for her near the door. Haruhi smiled and nodded before taking her boyfriend's hand in hers.

Thankfully, the academy was already deserted by the time they were out of the music room. They walked hand-in-hand towards the parking lot where Takashi asked Denjiro to park his car at. The time was nearing seven o'clock.

Haruhi didn't notice the vehicle until they stopped in front of it. Takashi went to the passenger seat and opened the door for her, being the gentleman that he is. She didn't say anything about the car because she knew rich people would definitely own their own car even though they have a driver (or drivers) back at home. She sighed in exasperation mentally and climbed into the passenger seat.

Takashi jogged towards the driver's seat and started the car, a red automatic Audi RS5. He reversed his car in swift elegance and drove towards their destination, the place where Takashi had planned for weeks. The journey was filled with comfortable silence; Takashi held Haruhi's hand with one of his hand while the other steered the wheel professionally.

After thirty minutes, they finally arrived at their destination and for some reason Takashi was feeling pretty nervous all of a sudden. He parked the car swiftly and stopped the engine, got out from his side and walked towards the passenger seat as he opened the door for Haruhi to climb out.

"Where… exactly are we Takashi?" Haruhi breathed out in awe, staring at the beauty around her as she climbed out of his car. She took Takashi's hand as he held it out for her. He clasped it firmly in his hand.

The place and environment was amazing in view, there were less trees in sight except for a rather large one situated on a small hill up ahead. Smaller trees, now full with autumn colored leaves, adorned the borders of the area. What made it amazing was the sky, it was limitless. They can actually see the stars and some parts of the galaxy in the dark night sky, just billions of stars all over the sky with no clouds in sight, not even a wisp.

"This," he started with slight nervousness in his tone, "is my favorite place to be. It's my place to be exact, since I own it. It's where I go to whenever I feel down or when I just want to go out for air, and I want to share it with you," he explained to her, directing her along the way towards the small hill where the large tree was situated. When they were close in view to the tree, Haruhi could see a blanket laid out on the grass with a picnic basket as well. Who knew Takashi could be so romantic. Haruhi smiled sheepishly.

"Did you do all of this?" she gestured towards the set up as she sat down on the blanket. Takashi sat across from her near to the tree. He could only smile sheepishly as a reply. "It's wonderful Takashi, I love it," she smiled genuinely and put her hand over his on the blanket and scooted closer to lean next to him. He leaned against the tree trunk so that Haruhi could lean against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and they both looked up to the sky.

"I wanted to show you the things I love," he started, "like tonight's fragments of stars," he kissed the top of her head softly.

"I love it Takashi, I think I'll add this to the list of my favorite things too… my hashi no kakera," she smiled softly, gazing up at the stars, watching as a shooting star shot out across the sky. She wished that this love they had now will last till forever and pray that her mother would look after both of them from above.

_**At Haruhi's apartment…**_

They stood outside Haruhi's apartment as Haruhi fumbled for her keys; it was getting pretty cold outside. Once they successfully got in, Haruhi went to her room to change to more comfortable clothes and Takashi sat at the living room, waiting for her. He'll be staying here tonight and over the weekend until Ranka gets back.

"I'll make tea for us, 'kay?" Haruhi emerged from her bedroom, clad in a very adorable night gown, as she went to the kitchen to fix them up some warm tea. She came back with a tray of tea in hand just as Takashi was thinking of helping her out in the kitchen and when he saw her in that adorable night gown, he averted his gaze to the ceiling because she was too adorable looking and the thoughts in his mind right now weren't particularly… polite to begin with.

"Here you go," Haruhi offered a cup of tea to him which he gladly took. She switched on the TV and flipped to a random channel about cooking. Takashi was relieved of the distraction, at least he could think of something else as he watched TV with Haruhi, who sat comfortably against him. He put his arm over her and she automatically leaned her head against his chest. He blushed as he gazed at her through the corner of his eye. '_Control yourself Takashi, you're better than this!_' he thought sternly to him and averted his gaze elsewhere again.

Just then Haruhi let out a small yawn, she felt pretty tired but didn't really want to go to bed yet since Takashi was here with her. He noticed her tiredness, "Haruhi, you should go to sleep if you're tired, I'll stay up a bit more," he said softly as he caressed her hair softly, lulling her to sleep. Haruhi gave in to her tiredness and nodded her head, "Mmkay… Good night Takashi," she kissed him softly on the lips and walked to her bedroom. "Good night love," Takashi said.

He let out a sigh of relief when Haruhi was already in her room. He didn't know how much he can control his composure and he wasn't sure what would happen if it crumbled right then and there. He was about to relax himself on the sofa when he heard the door to her room opened slightly and Haruhi called out to him, even though it was small and timid, he could still hear it.

"Takashi," she hesitated. What was she thinking right now? Absolutely nothing of course! "Sleep with me tonight…" she whispered and left her door ajar slightly. She knew Takashi could hear her.

**Author's Note**

Well, that's the end of this chapter. Look forward to the next one. Reviews make me feel motivated because they are my drugs. ^w^


	36. Self Control

**Author's Note**

Well, well, well… what do we have here? Our Haruhi being bold all of a sudden by inviting Takashi to sleep with her? What do you reckon that will happen? Do you think lemons will ensue? Mind you, this is just a T-rated story. *insert cheeky smile here* Well, read on my dear. Read on. Oh, this chapter is pretty OOC (I guess). Don't say I didn't warn you~ :p

**Chapter 35 – Self Control**

Takashi's heart stopped beating for just one momentarily second. Did he hear that accurately? Or was it his mind playing tricks on him? Here he was, about to relax himself on the sofa, about to close his eyes and dream away about a life with Haruhi, when he heard her timid voice. There was a hint of shyness in her voice he noticed, and if he wasn't wrong, there was also… wanting. (**A/N: ***suddenly blushing*)

'_What do I do?'_ he thought silently, debating, _'do I go to her or just stay here? Her dad is not home though- Takashi! Control your mind!'_ he was fighting with his own thoughts to see which one would win and overpower the other. _'But this isn't exactly the first time I've slept with her, there was that one time before all of this even started and at the beach house too… it's not like we're going to do any- what exactly are you thinking about Takashi? You're better than this! Have some self-control for God's sake!'_ he continued silently. Who knew this much would go inside his mind. He shrugged out of his jacket, feeling rather hot and bothered all of a sudden. He took off his v-neck shirt as well, leaving his jeans on. The cool air seemed to calm his chaotic mind a bit. He inhaled and exhaled deeply.

He decided to just go with it and be a man.

He stood outside her door, hesitant for a moment before pushing her door open quietly. Haruhi was on her bed, facing the wall; she didn't dare to look at her doorway, feeling nervous of what she might see. Takashi closed the door behind him with a soft click and walked over to her bed slowly. He knew Haruhi could hear him, hear his nervous breathing, and hear the soft rustle his feet made against the carpet in her room. Haruhi stopped breathing for a moment when she felt him sitting at the edge of her bed. She got nervous again, cold sweat forming on her forehead. What was she thinking doing something bold like this?

Takashi decided to lie down beside her and he adjusted himself more comfortably. He turned towards Haruhi and wrapped an arm over her petite waist, pulling her closer to him. He wasn't thinking right at that moment, he was acting on impulse. He could feel Haruhi's heartbeat against his chest since she was so close. He could smell the soft scent of strawberries on her hair as he buried his face closer to her. He could sense that she was nervous too, but was rather calm at the same time. Haruhi chose that time to turn around and face him, her doe-like eyes looking up at him with such pure love. She searched his eyes for something similar and found so much… more.

"Haruhi…" he breathed out her name softly and gazed into her eyes. He trailed the side of her face with his fingers softly and Haruhi shivered into his touch. She took hold of his hand and kissed it softly against her lips. He pulled her closer to him and began to kiss her softly, passionately with longing, with all the love he could give to her. Then he turned her over so he was hovering on top of her instead, hands planted at either sides of her head, knees at either side of her legs. Haruhi looked up at him, breathless and lips a bit swollen from the kiss Takashi administered.

She studied the contour of his body and blushed at the thoughts that appeared in her mind. She gazed up again at Takashi and touched his face softly with her hand.

"Takashi," she whispered, almost hesitant, her eyes searching into his.

"I know love," he replied in the same manner, although his tone was a bit huskier than Haruhi has ever heard before. "We won't do… it. But that doesn't mean I'd stop kissing you," he added, gazing deeply into her eyes again, before bending low and administering more kisses on her. He kissed her forehead softly, down to the sides of her cheekbones, down to her ears, down to the crook of her neck, to her slight exposed chest, her arms, her fingers, down to her toes, her legs, her oh so beautiful thighs, then finally he captured her lips with the utmost passion that he could have ever given to her.

His trails of kisses left the warmth of fire on her body, leaving her with a sense of pleasure Haruhi never knew before. She unconsciously arched her body towards him so she could get closer to Takashi. He sensed this and pushed her down gently to her bed because something was threatening to 'wake' up.

"Haruhi, please," he whispered softly, almost pleading to her as he paused their passionate kiss. "If you keep doing that, I might not be able to control myself any longer…" he added, almost lustful and longingly.

"Sorry Takashi," she replied timidly in embarrassment, "I'll try to be more… subtle," she said and smiled sheepishly. _'But it's hard to do that when you're so delicious-looking,'_ she added silently as her eyes roamed his heavenly body and unconsciously licked her lips.

Takashi captured her lips once again when he saw her licked her lips unconsciously, so very unaware on what she was actually doing to him at that moment. They continued on with battles of kisses and tongues dancing together until they both got exhausted. Takashi pulled her closer yet again to his chest and wrapped one arm over her waist. He also wrapped his legs over hers, wanting her as close to him as possible.

It took all of Takashi's strength to control himself tonight, if it crumbled for just one tiny bit, he would have brought shame towards the Morinozuka name. For once in his life, Takashi was really grateful for all those years of practice of self control from temptations such as that was about to nearly happen earlier tonight. He looked down to the now peaceful sleeping Haruhi and kissed the top of her head softly, and then sleep finally overcame him.

**Author's Note**

This chapter is pretty short, isn't it? I'd like to keep it that way since I want to show how deep Takashi's love for Haruhi is. And I think I really need to write a few lemons' one shot for this pairing. *thinking deeply* Anyway, I am currently having a one week semester break from my University (it's my final year btw) and I haven't started on any of my assignments yet but I chose to spend my time here instead. Why? Because I know you all miss me. *insert innocent smile here*

**Moving on to the review replies!**

**To DarkRavie** – you are the very first to review my previous chapter. Thank you! :D

**To SasoLOVE111** – silly you, of course I'll be updating this story. I won't abandon it, so don't worry. I was just caught up with assignments and projects at my University after all this time. ^^"

**To Grimmling** – where's that actual review of yours? I'm still waiting for it. :p

**To Chibi-Chanx** – of course I did, why wouldn't I? And thank you dearest twin. ^_^

**To Miss Hydrangea** – lol. I did update yesterday, didn't I? And thank you for your endless support throughout this story. ^_^

**To 4k-san** – thank you! :D

**To littleladyofthemist** – thank you for the review. ^_^

Thank you also to those who put this story on alert/favorite and to those who put me as your favorite author. Also to those who have read it all this time.

**Extra Author's Note**

I checked the traffic on my story earlier and I got a really decent number of hits, but that didn't match with the number of reviews. I wonder why that is? I'm not going to demand for reviews, but reviews make the author feel motivated to continue writing the story. Plus I'll know that I have your endless support throughout the journey of this story.

So, when you have the time, please review? It would have made me absolutely happy. Trust me.

Now I'm gonna go catch myself some muse, I just saw one flying past me a few minutes ago. Until next time my lovelies~ *readies butterfly net*


	37. Raiden

**Author's Note**

Yay! Here's another chapter for my lovely readers. ^_^ Also, I just realized that I used the word 'softly' too much in the previous chapter _*facepalm*_ I really need to read my thesaurus every now and then.

* * *

**Chapter 36 – Raiden**

It was a Sunday and Ranka was already home by then, so Takashi went to go back home after kissing Haruhi goodbye by the doorway of her apartment. She watched and waved goodbye as he descended the stairs, walked over to his car and drove off. Haruhi smiled softly as she watched his car disappear by the corner and then went inside to prepare some breakfast for her and her dad.

Just as she finished preparing the meal, Ranka walked out of his bedroom and took a sit next to her in the living room as they ate their early morning breakfast.

"Where's Takashi-kun?" Ranka asked his daughter, "Did he go home already?" he added as he swallowed the contents in his mouth.

"Yeah dad, he just went home when you were showering earlier," she replied with a smile.

Ranka looked at her and noticed the small smile that seemed to linger a bit longer than usual when she talked about Takashi. _'I wonder what happened when I was out…'_ he thought silently, secretly eyeing his daughter skeptically. He shook his head, "So anyway Haruhi," he started, "let's go to the shopping mall today! Daddy has a day off and daddy wants to pamper you with _new_ things since daddy was away for two days," he added cheerily, hoping that she would comply with his suggestion.

"Hmm?" she replied, sort of not really listening to her dad talking to her since her thoughts were elsewhere at that moment, "oh yeah, sure dad. Sounds good," she added and smiled. She wasn't aware what she had just agreed on, boy, she is so going to regret for not really listening. (A/N: *smirks*)

"YAY! Shopping time for my Haru-chan! Daddy is _so_ happy!" he grinned and clapped his hands joyously.

Then it clicked in her mind and nearly choked out on her food, "wait, WHAT?" she blurted out as soon as she swallowed her breakfast and realized what she had just agreed on.

"No use taking it back Haruhi~" he sang in reply, "we'll be going shopping! Hohoho~"

* * *

…**Later that afternoon at the shopping mall…**

"Haruhi, go try this, this and this on. Oh, take these shoes as well and these accessories," Ranka said happily as he pushed the clothing items onto Haruhi's arms, then he proceeded to push her towards the changing room to quicken her pace. Haruhi put on her deadpanned face, clearly not enjoying every minute of this.

They were currently in one of the famous clothing boutiques at the mall, owned by the Hitaachin family. The clothes were really trendy and Ranka thought it would suit Haruhi's appearance. With Haruhi currently in the dressing room, Ranka went over to another clothing section and picked out more outfits for his daughter. Clearly, he was enjoying this too much.

"Dad, where are you?" Haruhi called out as she stepped out of the dressing room with the first outfit her dad made her try on. Ranka appeared moments later and eyed Haruhi from top to bottom and instructed her to do a turn so he could see her better.

Haruhi was wearing a white layered urban thigh-length dress with a light gray skinny legging jeans. Draped around her neck was a silver necklace with a big heart pendant that reached down just below her breasts. And on her left wrist was a silver lucky charm bracelet.

"Cuuuuuuuuuute!" Ranka gushed out, squealing every now and then as he looked at his daughter. Haruhi got embarrassed as a few heads were turning around at their direction. Ranka ushered her to try the rest of the outfits he told her to try on and waited outside the dressing room gleefully. After Haruhi tried on several outfits and from complete exhaustion (though that's only on Haruhi's side, Ranka was having _so_ much fun), her dad purchased most of the outfits. Once Ranka gave the sum amount of money to the cashier, he handed one of the bags to his daughter and told her to go change into it because he felt that that outfit was the winner for today.

Haruhi begrudgingly went back into the dressing room and changed into the said outfit. Once she came out, her dad squealed with more joy and cried out happy tears because his daughter looks so adorable.

The current outfit she was wearing was a light turquoise summer dress, with dark pink and white flower patterns, that reached just above her knees. Draped over the dress was a short-sleeved, knee-length cardigan of the same color. She put on white ballerina flats (because heaven forbid, she cannot walk in heels I tell you!) and completed her outfit with silver bangles on her right wrist and a layered necklace that dangled around her neck.

They walked out of the store with Ranka waving goodbye at the cashier and a slightly unamused (does this word exist?) Haruhi. Then an all too familiar voice called out to them, "Haru-chan, kawaii!" a cheerful Mitsukuni greeted as he darted over the two with Takashi walking closely by. Takashi greeted them as well, but more in a polite manner. He kissed Haruhi on the cheek when he greeted her. Ranka was smiling slyly. He noticed the hidden meanings behind their smiles; it didn't take that long to notice. Even Mitsukuni was smiling cheekily at their encounter.

"So Ranka-chan, what brings you here?" Mitsukuni asked, "Out shopping for more kawaii outfits for Haru-chan?" he added and grinned. He knew better to ask Ranka than to ask Haruhi because by the looks of it, she was in some kind of another world with Takashi as they continued on gazing at each other and smiling sheepishly. Mitsukuni chuckled.

"Oh yes, you got that right Honey-kun," he winked at the boy, "And I am enjoying it _so_ much! I bought her a ton of new outfits for her to wear because Haruhi looks more _adorable_ wearing cute clothes rather than just some _old_ t-shirts and pants, right Honey-kun?" he added in a serious tone and looked at Haruhi. Mitsukuni nodded in reply, agreeing 100 per cent with Ranka's opinion.

"I look perfectly fine with my old clothes!" Haruhi huffed heatedly, a blush forming on her face.

"Ranka-san is right Haruhi," Takashi intervened, "you do look more adorable," he smiled crookedly and chuckled as Haruhi's blush deepened another shade darker.

"Yay! Takashi-kun is on my side," Ranka stuck his tongue out to his daughter at the small victory he just earned then laughed along with the two other boys, leaving Haruhi to blush even deeper. "Okay, okay," Ranka stopped laughing and chuckled, "leave Haruhi alone boys. Now let's go get some desserts! I know just the right place for it," he led the way and talked animatedly with Mitsukuni about desserts while Haruhi and Takashi walked a step further back.

"You really do look adorable, Haruhi," Takashi uttered and chuckled again.

Haruhi just smiled in embarrassment at his compliment and continued on walking to the dessert place her dad mentioned a few minutes ago.

* * *

…**At the dessert place…**

"Which one are you getting Mitsu?" Haruhi asked as she eyed the array of cakes and pastries placed near the counter, she put a finger at her lips, pondering which one to get. She wasn't really a fan of desserts but she didn't really mind them once in a while.

"Uhm, I think I want that one," pointing to a strawberry sponge cake frosted with lemon icing, decorated with strawberries, "the whole of it! Actually, make those two whole cakes!" he chirped happily, pink flowers floating about around his head.

"I knew you'd say that," she chuckled and proceeded to tell the orders to the waitress patiently waiting behind the counter. She confirmed the orders again when the waitress looked sort of bewildered.

"Oh," she added, "I'll take a peppermint chocolate shake to go. Thanks," she smiled then ushered Mitsukuni towards the other two men who were waiting for them at one of the sitting booths near the window. They waited for about five minutes for their orders to arrive and when it did, Mitsukuni immediately attacked the sponge cake with the dessert fork in his hand. The other three watched happily at the ordeal and proceeded to eat their own desserts at their own suitable pace. Every now and then, Haruhi or Takashi would wipe away some cake crumbs from Mitsukuni's face as he ate away happily.

"I almost forgot," Haruhi suddenly said, "wait one moment, I'll be right back. Eh no Takashi, it'll just be a minute. I just need to go down to the bookstore and get that English book I wanted," she took her drink in her hand and hurriedly walked out from the café and made her way to the bookstore just a couple blocks away from where the others were.

She pushed the door open to the bookstore and went straight to the section she was looking for. When she found the book she wanted, she went straight to the cashier and paid for it. After she walked out of the bookstore, she flipped open the book and scanned through its contents. Her drink was still in her hand. She was so engrossed in the book that she accidentally bumped into someone and spilled her drink contents onto said bumped person.

"Oh god! I'm so sorry!" Haruhi shrieked in embarrassment and quickly took out her handkerchief from her purse. She tried to dab the person's shirt clean but to no avail, the drink contents seemed to stick stubbornly. Haruhi's hand was caught gently in her bumped victim's hand and a finger lifted up her chin slowly. She looked up to the person and caught her breath in her throat. '_Bishi_,' she thought abruptly. Said person was a drop dead, gorgeous bishounen. _Literally_.

Standing in front of her, was a fair-skinned man with medium length hair that spiked out and fell into heaps of this beautiful mass of dark brown locks. His hair nearly covered his emerald green eyes that seemed to sparkle with life, but there was some sort of sadness dwelling in his beautiful eyes. His face was perfect in shape; his jaw, his nose even his lips. He was leaned, Haruhi observed (lol. She actually had the time to observe such minute details) and strong too, she supposed. _'He's tall, like Kyouya-senpai, but just a few inches higher,'_ she thought silently.

"It's okay actually," he began, his voice was beautiful too, "it doesn't look that bad," he looked down at his shirt to examine the stain then chuckled. Haruhi thought his chuckle sounded beautiful as well. What the hell is wrong with her? She seemed to be captivated by this mysterious person's beauty.

He then brought her hand up and to Haruhi's utmost surprise, he kissed it gently. Haruhi retrieved her hand immediately and a blush suddenly decided to form on her face. She couldn't utter a single word from what he just did so casually.

"What is your name?" he asked, after a few moments of silence. He gazed down at Haruhi with his beautiful, mysterious emerald green eyes.

"That is something I do not give out to people easily, especially a random stranger," she replied, getting back to her senses.

"Oh? But I am not just a random stranger," he shot back coolly, "I am a random stranger that you accidentally bumped into and spilled the contents of your drinks onto this shirt which happened to be my favorite," he added with a smile that seemed to hide thousands of meanings.

Haruhi felt flustered because at one point, this person was right and she didn't really have any more reasons to argue back. "Fujioka Haruhi," she stated professionally.

"Haruhi…" he said her name slowly and gazed into her eyes again which made Haruhi feel flustered for the second time that day since their encounter. _'Why am I feeling like this? He's just a stranger… that I seemed to be so intrigued with…'_ Haruhi trailed off in her mind. "A beautiful name for a beautiful maiden," he added with a hint of flirty-ness in his tone.

"And…?" she trailed off, waiting for another response, "I told you my name already, so it's only fair if I know yours too," she said, putting up her serious face and looked up at the man in front of her.

"No need to get so hasty, Haru-hime," he chuckled before adding, "My name is Kurosawa Raiden," he smiled softly.

Haruhi felt a sudden chill entered her body at the mention of his name. 'Raiden' means _thunder and lightning_ and that equals to Haruhi's fears. She had a feeling that she should stay away from this man because she knew it wouldn't bring anything good to her life.

He extended a hand to Haruhi, expecting her to shake it. She hesitated at first, afraid that he might be doing his bold move again or something even bolder, then she decided to extend her hand towards him after a moment of thought, which he took and kissed softly again.

"Haru-chan! What's taking you so long?" Mitsukuni came out of the café and ran towards her when he spotted her. He saw the man in front of Haruhi and his instincts told him that that person was someone they shouldn't be involved with, especially her. He stopped and stood next to her, looking up at the man with steely eyes. Raiden just looked back down at Mitsukuni and smiled a friendly smile which looked really genuine. Just then Takashi and Ranka also came out and went to their direction, both men saw the man in front of Haruhi. Takashi put on his usual poker face mask and observed the stranger that was standing in front of Haruhi, he had a feeling that he wouldn't like him one bit.

Once he was near Haruhi, he put his hand at the small of her back.

"I see you have company," Raiden stated, eyes focused on Haruhi, and he saw the look the tallest man (being Takashi) gave him, "I will take my leave now. Till next time, Haru-hime," he winked at her, smiled then walked away at an opposite direction. A few seconds later, two men clad in black suit appeared and escorted Raiden. In the others' eyes, they seemed to look like bodyguards.

As if out of a trance, the four of them went to continue shopping and walking around the mall, gradually forgetting about the encounter. Well, Ranka only forgot about it, but as for the others? There were a lot of things going inside their minds right now, especially Takashi. What kind of man flirts so openly with someone else's girlfriend when he was standing there beside her?

* * *

…**Outside the shopping mall, at a private VIPs Only parking area…**

"Fujioka Haruhi…" Raiden breathed out her name, in a manner that would have caused goose bumps if any woman heard their names to be called like that, "a beautiful, fair hime… One that I wish to own," Raiden chuckled humorlessly and ordered his driver to take him back to his Condo.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Oooh! A new character! An OC of course, my OC~ you will be able to know _more_ about Raiden in the following chapter, which I have yet to write. So, please be patient my lovelies. And oh, let me tell you a secret. *chuckles evilly* Haruhi's life, as well as Takashi's, will be turned _upside down_ by Raiden-kun.

So review, tell me what you think! It makes me happy! ^_^ you can write whatever you want. Anything will do~ :D

Thank you to **Dark-Nate18 and your girlfriend Kahlan**, **Shado Kitsune**, **SasoLOVE111**, **KairaKara101**, **DarkRavie**, **Mistress Hydrangea**, **Jessica**, **Rockerangel742**, **Haruhiandhoneytogetherforeve** and **Byoken** for the reviews! Thank you also to those who put this story on alert/favorite. :D I loveeeeee you people! :D

Oh, to **Rockerangel742**, I know what you mean. I too, like some MorixHaru lemons. Maybe I should really write one. Could you reckon me a good one? :P I think I've read most of them. :3

And to **Haruhiandhoneytogetherforeve**, I'll make the _sequel_ into an M-rated fanfic. Hehe

Till next time my lovelies~


	38. Kyouya's Findings

**Author's Note**

To _Mistress Hydrangea_, thank you for noticing a particular part of the story. Anyway, it will be explained, in this chapter, how Ranka managed to pay for all the expensive outfits he bought for Haruhi. With that being said, please enjoy this chapter! ^_^

Review replies will be done at the end. There's also a tiny announcement at the end of this chapter, so you better pay attention. One more thing, won't you just love it if Takashi let out his _possessive side_ about Haruhi?

* * *

**Chapter 37 – Kyouya's Findings**

After the earlier events that had happened to Haruhi of the accidental encounter with the mysterious person named Kurosawa Raiden, Mitsukuni decided that they should go and have lunch since it was nearing afternoon. The other three agreed, so Ranka led the way to a bistro café that he frequented a lot. It wasn't entirely an expensive dining place, the price range was actually average. Once they arrived at the café and were comfortably seated, they ordered up their choices of meals and chatted away with each other.

"By the way dad," Haruhi started and turned towards him, "how did you _manage_ to pay for _all_ the outfits you just bought me?" she quirked up an eyebrow and gave her dad a skeptical look, almost demanded to know how the hell did he get all that money to pay for expensive, branded things.

"Oh~ that," Ranka giggled, "Did I forget to mention to you that I received an early bonus from my boss? Plus, I made some savings, a savings specifically for your all your adorable outfits Haruhi," he added with a grin.

"Dad," Haruhi sighed, "You really shouldn't have wasted so much on me, you should have saved it for your own use," she said, slightly annoyed and crossed with him because he wasted so much money on unnecessary things.

"Aww, but daddy just wants to pamper daddy's only daughter," Ranka pouted, "I don't mean to offend you Haruhi, but your taste in fashion needs a really big improvement," he glanced sideways, avoiding Haruhi's glare on him.

"That's not good Haru-chan," Mitsukuni intervened with a serious but still cute expression, "Ranka-chan just wants to do what's best for you. So, just let him do what he wants, in order to be a good father to you, okay? He's not really around you all the time since Ranka-chan is busy at work, so when he has the time to spend with you, you should just go along with it, okay?" he added and smiled gently.

Haruhi felt guilty when her dad and Mitsukuni said it that way and nodded, "Thanks dad," she said softly, "but can I ask a favor?" Ranka just nodded vigorously in response. "Just don't overdo it, okay? I want you to be able to have a happy life too when you… retire from work someday. So, you should save more for your retirement days," she smiled as her eyes softened.

Ranka nearly squealed in response at her cuteness so Haruhi had to give him a warning look, he ended up chuckling and coughing at the same time. Mitsukuni offered him a glass of water which Ranka gulped down greedily. Haruhi and Takashi laughed at his behavior and the rest of the day was well spent.

* * *

…**The next day at Ouran Gakuen, during lunchtime…**

"Ne Haru-chan, what exactly did happen yesterday?" Mitsukuni asked curiously as he popped in a fried dumpling in his mouth. He was also asking this on behalf of Takashi because he knew Takashi seemed out of it today. They were currently sitting underneath one of the giant Sakura trees in the field nearby the academy as they were having their lunch. Petals swirled around and fell gently to the ground as Haruhi began to recall her memories.

She was hesitant at first, not really wanting to tell exactly what had happened, but knowing that Mitsukuni and Takashi will be worried over it, she decided that she should just tell. Moreover, she was feeling somewhat afraid.

"After I went to the bookstore," she began and Mitsukuni turned towards her to give his full attention while Takashi just listened on intently, "I decided to check the book out while on my way back to you guys. In one hand, I sort of held my drink and I used both of my hands to hold the book properly, although I think I should have just checked the book's contents at a later time. While I was so engrossed in the book, I accidentally bumped into _him_, thus spilling out the contents of my drinks onto his shirt.

I got really embarrassed and was so surprised, I took out my handkerchief quickly so I could at least clean up his shirt a bit, but the substance seemed so stubborn. He stopped me and said that it didn't really look that bad. Then… then he took my hand," Haruhi continued, her eyes seemed so distant as she recalled her memories during that afternoon, "he took my hand and… and he kissed it," her face scrunched up like she was disgusted by it, then it softened gradually as if she didn't mind it actually happened.

A shattered sound was heard close by, as if someone just crushed a glass (a drinking glass by the way) with their bare hands. Haruhi didn't seem to notice because she was so lost in her thoughts but Mitsukuni paled immensely as the glass in Takashi's hand lay broken in pieces. But what surprised Mitsukuni was that Takashi didn't even seem to even flinch in pain as blood trickled down from his palm.

"I retrieved my hand immediately and felt all flustered, I don't even know why I felt that way…" she trailed off, confused by her own feelings. "Then he asked for my name, I gave out reasons that I don't tell my name to random strangers but he managed to argue back with something that I couldn't argue with," she continued with a huff as she recalled the argument. No one had argued back with her like that, except her senpai, Kyouya. "So I had to tell him my name, after that he told me his and I grew afraid because I had a feeling that I didn't like him, that I wouldn't like him one bit," she glared at the empty space in front of her, as if something was there.

She turned to Mitsukuni, "If you didn't appear right at that moment, I wouldn't know what I'd do. So, thank you Mitsu," she smiled gently, "You sort of saved my life from him," she turned to Takashi after that, "And thank you to you also my love, your presence was like a safety blanket for me," she was about to kiss him on his cheek when she noticed the injury on his hand with the glass still intact. "Takashi! What happened to your hand?" she asked worriedly, all the memories of Raiden ceased to exist when she got her senses back.

"Let's go to the nurse right now," she got up from the ground and pulled Takashi up, "We need to treat that wound of yours immediately," she added, sort of ordered actually. There was a hint of sternness in her voice. He only nodded in reply, not uttering a single word. Mitsukuni followed close by.

'_Takashi…_' he thought silently, worried. Nothing has ever made Takashi behaved like this before, not even when he (referring to Takashi) was with him.

* * *

…**At the dojo, during Takashi's and Mitsukuni's practice sessions…**

Takashi had never felt so much anger boiled inside him, he was confused and felt quite agitated during their practice session. Even though his usual mask was up, his sparring partners as well as Mitsukuni knew something was wrong with him that day. They fall prey as Takashi kept on badgering them with his shinai, they couldn't keep up with his speed and strength. It was as if he let out most of his strength and power during his sparring sessions. They were quite exhausted because none of them had ever sparred like this before, especially with Takashi. Usually, he would have taken a few minutes break and let the others have it too, but he just kept on giving his partners hit after hit after hit, until Mitsukuni had to finally stop him.

"Enough Takashi," he calmly ordered with a serious tone as he put his hand on Takashi's arm. "I think you've had enough practice for today. Boys, you may leave," he added as he addressed the others. The others thanked him gratefully and hurriedly left.

Takashi just stood there next to his cousin, with his shinai still intact. His hands were shaking, clenching and unclenching with so much anger and frustration, Mitsukuni noticed.

"What's wrong Takashi?" his cousin asked gently when Takashi finally calmed down a bit. "You were never this angry and frustrated before," he said.

"I don't know Mitsukuni," Takashi replied, all lost and feeling frustrated again as he covered his face with his hands. "I'm just so angry and frustrated right now," he chuckled humorlessly.

"I think," Mitsukuni started hesitantly, "I know why…" he trailed off. "It's about that Kurosawa guy, am I right cousin?"

Takashi just grimaced; his anger and frustration seeped back into him again. Mitsukuni was right on the spot. "Anyway, let's go change from our gi and go to the music room," Mitsukuni walked over to the changing room, with Takashi following nearby just a few feet away.

* * *

…**Third Music Room, hosting activities just started…**

The door to the music room slammed open with so much force that made the heads inside the said room to turn at the direction of the doorway. Everyone, the hosts and their guests, watched as Takashi strode briskly towards Kyouya, who for the record looked a little bit bewildered. The room went still.

"Mori-senpai, what's all the-" Tamaki started and was about to go over to the seniors until he saw Mitsukuni gave him a look that clearly said, 'do not interfere'. The twins were quite surprised as well but didn't dare to say or do anything since they knew better than to do so. Moreover, when Mitsukuni already warned Tamaki, they knew it was some sort of serious matter.

"How can I-" Kyouya began with a business-like smile but was immediately cut off by the senior who was standing agitatedly in front of him.

"I want you to find out _all_ about Kurosawa Raiden," he demanded which took Kyouya by surprise because he had never seen his senpai used that kind of tone before; he immediately put on his calm mask. "Find out who he is, his background, his lifestyle. EVERYTHING," he added more calmly, nearly shouting but Kyouya could detect the edge, the urgency, the anger, the frustration and… jealousy coming from his senpai.

"Certainly Mori-senpai, as you wish. I'll get on to it straight away," Kyouya calmly replied as he glasses glinted off in the light. He didn't ask why his senpai wanted such information, although he was really curious, but chose to start working with his laptop immediately, tapping on the keyboard with speed only Kyouya managed to pull out. He also made a few calls regarding the matter as he instructed Tachibana to find out about the man his senpai asked him.

"Let's go Takashi, the ladies are waiting for us," Mitsukuni called out and directed him towards their designated area. Takashi followed quietly, thoughts clearly far off and elsewhere.

During this ordeal, Haruhi's thoughts were already elsewhere. She wasn't quite aware on what was happening around her, she didn't notice Takashi's sudden outburst or his demands to Kyouya to find out about Kurosawa Raiden. Yes, her thoughts were already lost when they started hosting activities, but she did manage to talk with her clients throughout that whole time. Her clients were not even aware that her thoughts were not there; her thoughts were completely filled with Kurosawa Raiden and that made her confused as well as afraid.

Hosting activities continued and carried on as if nothing had happened earlier. Takashi grew quieter and felt slightly impatient as he waited on about Kyouya's findings. Only Mitsukuni chatted cheerily with their clients and dealing with their everyday problems or complains or compliments towards the seniors and answering the ladies on why Takashi's hand was currently bandaged. Yes, Takashi's mind was elsewhere and it was revolving around the man he grew to hate every single passing minute of his life.

'_She is _MINE_,'_ Takashi shouted in his thoughts, possessively; his mind grew chaotic as his jealous and possessive side took over him in full force, _'and I will _NOT_ let some other man take her away from me,' _he added, unaware that he was yet again clenching and unclenching his hands. _'I will _kill_ anyone who decides or even thinks to take her away… _She_ is my life…'_ he trailed off in his mind.

Being one of the very few people who are attuned to Takashi's change in emotions or feelings, Mitsukuni noticed the chaotic changes that occurred over Takashi over the period of their hosting activities. He was worried about his cousin, so worried. But he didn't show it in front of their clients; he didn't need the unnecessary attention the ladies will surely give out over Takashi, so he kept quiet and carried on being the sweet and adorable Honey-senpai they grew to love.

* * *

…**A few hours of hosting activities later…**

After hosting activities ended, the boys leisured around the lounge area, placed conveniently near the grand piano where Tamaki usually play. It was still quite early to go home, so they stayed for awhile. Plus, there was that matter concerning Takashi; everyone was keen to know why he gave out that sudden outburst and they were worried over him.

Haruhi left immediately after hosting activities ended, saying that she had to go home to cook for Ranka, she went over to Takashi to tell him goodbye and hugged Mitsukuni. Tamaki and the twins protested of course, but were soon stopped by Mitsukuni who told them to let her go. She threw a grateful glance at Mitsukuni as she walked out.

"I have the information you required," Kyouya announced as he walked over to the lounge area and stood behind the sofa currently occupied by Tamaki. The others perked up at this and listened up. Takashi nodded at Kyouya, an indication to continue what he had found out; Kyouya felt the tension coming out from him even though his senpai was sitting by the ledge of the window, a few feet away. Mitsukuni, Kyouya noticed, also tensed up at his announcement. So he fluidly presented his findings to the group.

"Kurosawa Raiden," Kyouya began in a business-like manner as he read out the contents written is his notebook, "age 18 years old, and has already completed his degree in business management. His family is well known throughout Tokyo as they excel in the business area majoring in technology. Both parents are still alive though he is an only child. Known to be competitive with his classmates and friends, he always completes at the top of the class. His strong point is his intelligence and ambitious mind with an IQ that reaches a 182 score and because of that he is quite well known as the genius young entrepreneur," Kyouya stopped and felt amused. Whoever this Kurosawa Raiden was, he rivaled Kyouya's own IQ score (of 180).

"Currently he lives by himself in his own private condo, located at the center of Tokyo," he continued, "his looks is categorized under the Bishi department and he is well known as a lady killer. Up until this point, he doesn't have any fiancée or tied down to any woman because his parents don't believe in arranged marriages. Although, he did get quite a number of suitors coming his way that wants his hand in marriage but he has never accepted any of it. If you had to pick a bad aspect," Kyouya added, "he doesn't have any, yet. That's all I have for now," he finished and closed his notebook.

Tamaki and the twins seemed quite lost about it, but somehow, they had a feeling that they will understand it soon.

"Thank you Kyouya," Takashi said as he got up from the window's ledge. Mitsukuni watched from where he was sitting as his cousin walked over to them. That was the first calmness words that Takashi had ever uttered today. Mitsukuni felt relieved, as least for now, they had some knowledge about Kurosawa Raiden, but that didn't mean that they should let their guard down.

"If you have further information about him, let me know _straight away_ by either calling me or seeing me," Takashi added before walking off towards the door. His mind was still disturbed and he thought that he should retire to his home now and get some sleep. Mitsukuni didn't follow him as he had something to talk about with the others, it was better to let them know firsthand on what made Takashi so… out of it today.

Just then Kyouya's phone rang.

"Hello Tachibana," Kyouya answered, "What have you got for me?"

Takashi stopped in his tracks. Kyouya was silent for a few minutes as he listened on, muttering yes every now and then. He muttered a 'thank you, keep me posted on this' to Tachibana and once he finished talking, he shut his phone and looked directly at Takashi.

"What is going on exactly, Mori-senpai?" Kyouya asked seriously. Mitsukuni sensed the change in Kyouya's voice and got slightly worried. The others were still confused. "Tachibana just called to inform me that this Kurosawa Raiden has just done immense research on _everything_ about her," there was an edge to his voice.

"He also called to inform me that when Kurosawa Raiden sets his eyes on something, he will do _everything_ in his power to _obtain_ it," he added with a grimace, glasses glinted off in the light to hide the emotion in his eyes.

Takashi stood frozen in his spot as he digested everything that Kyouya just told him. He knew who Kyouya meant by _her_. His hands started shaking in uncontrollable anger and all of a sudden, he fell to the floor, unconscious.

"I'm sorry Takashi," Mitsukuni said gently as he looked down to his unconscious cousin, "but I had to knock you out, otherwise, you'd be doing something you'd regret for the rest of your life."

Tamaki and the twins, except Kyouya, looked dumbfounded as they watched the scene in front of them.

"Who's her, Kyouya?" Tamaki asked, his tone was laced with confusion as he stared at his best friend.

"Yeah, who exactly are you talking about?" Kaoru interjected. He didn't know why but something at the back of his mind nagged him that something wasn't right. Hikaru didn't say a word, but he was confused from all of this. They rushed over to Mitsukuni to help him carry Takashi.

"Kyouya," Mitsukuni interrupted as he heaved his cousin onto the sofa with the help from the twins, "I'll fill you in on everything," he added gravely. "You three should listen as well because this involves Haruhi," the look on his face was so serious that the twins and Tamaki felt afraid, like something wasn't right. Kyouya gave a single nod and proceeded to sit down on the sofa with the rest of them.

…**End of Chapter, till next time…**

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**Author's Note**

As one of my readers said, the plot thickens! *evil laugh* don't you just love me? *smiles cunningly* and I like Takashi in this chapter, all jealous and possessive. I hope this chapter satisfied your needs to see Takashi's possessive side, RockerAngel742.

With that being said, I have a _tiny_ announcement to make. I am only going to say this _once_ and I'm not about to repeat it twice, _so you better pay attention_. This story will _end_ soon. There are just three more chapters left before I start on the sequel, entitled: _Kuro to Aka no Bara II_. You should put me on 'Author Alert' if you wish to be the _very_ first people to read it.

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**Moving on to review replies!**

**BulldogCrazy – **my tenses suck big time. Lol. I get confused on what to use sometimes, I just went with what would sound right as I say the words/sentence in my mind.

**RockerAngel742 – **there was this one Ouran fanfic I read a long time ago, and it has something to do with a brothel. It was one of the best hentai fanfics I've read, but when I searched for it again, I can't seem to find it anymore. Anyway, please let me know as soon as that MorixHaruhi lemon of yours is out! I want to _read_ it. _*gives you the puppy eyes*_ and btw, you got what you asked for! Takashi's possessive side! Yay! _*laughs*_

**Mistress Hydrangea – **did this chapter answer your question? _*chuckles*_

**KairaKara101 – **a lot of people doesn't seem to like him too, I just don't get why though. I like him because he's a Bishi. Who doesn't like Bishi characters? Lol.

**4k-san – **now, now, there' no need to use a bat to kill off Raiden, you should use a more powerful weapon, like a revolver for instance. Or in Takashi's case, his bare hands. Kidding. XD

A very big thank you too** zarada19, SasoLOVE111, DarkRavie, **and** BuBbleZ-BOTDF **for the reviews. It means a lot to me ^_^ and thank you to those who put this story on alert/favorite.

And starting tomorrow, I will start my new term in Uni, so updates _will_ be _slow_. Therefore, I need you to be patient with me, okay? Good. Till next time my lovelies~ just keep those reviews coming. :3


	39. An Obsession

**Author's Note**

I find myself wondering… how on earth did I end up writing up to 124k+ words for this story? I feel like my brain is being a little too creative. Anyway, sorry for the late update, I did tell that I'll be updating real slowly. Now enjoy this chapter, you'll probably end up hating it though. *laughs* you'll see why.

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**Chapter 38 – An Obsession**

He twisted in bed as sweat covered his dampened hair and chiseled torso, having woken up from the vivid dreams that he seemed to be having for the past couple of weeks, involving a very particular and interesting girl. His heartbeats were frantic, his breathing deep and ragged. He glanced sideways through the huge windows, which seemed to cover the entire space of the walls, as a glimpse of sunlight penetrated through. He didn't get up from his bed straight away, seeing that it was still too early to be getting out of it. Instead, he lay flat against his back, repositioning himself until he deems it comfortable.

He returned his thoughts to his seconds-ago vivid dreams. He couldn't, not in his current state of mind, get rid of the images of the girl he accidentally bumped into a few weeks ago. Her eyes, warm brown hues that seemed to portray honesty and sincerity; her lips albeit small but still soft and rather delicious-looking; her ordinary yet beautiful face, something so unforgettable no matter how many times he tried to forget and her slender figure, although too slim for his choice, he finds himself wanting to roam his hands all over her. He chuckled darkly; maybe he can make that last thought happen.

He decided to get out from bed and headed straight to the bathroom. He had a feeling that he most probably will need a very, very cold shower.

* * *

After having to undergo an extremely cold shower and getting dressed in his casual work attire consisted of a crisp white office shirt, a dark gray suit that hugged his body comfortably and dark gray pants tailored beautifully to accentuate his very lean, long legs, he got hold of his car keys and walked out of his condo suite into the awaiting lift that will bring him to the entrance of his private condominium.

He sauntered over to his car, a Lamborghini Aventador, in a graceful yet casual manner and turned the ignition on once he was seated comfortably inside. The car flared to life and he reversed fluently out of his parking lot and drove into the open road that will lead him to his office, placed at the heart of Tokyo.

Approximately twenty minutes passed by and he finally arrived at his destination. He parked his car at his usual space and entered the premises which he sees it as his pride and glory.

His office is a skyscraper building, made to oversee the scenes of Tokyo. The spacious interior consisted of gray, white, black and a dash of crimson red designs and furniture, and the walls were filled with modern abstract arts. There were also plants but they were simple plants, not to extravagant but mainly consisted of ikebana arrangements. They added a traditional touch to the interior.

Raiden was greeted formally as he walked in to the building; all of his workers were already here, working their efforts off in order to please him. They knew better than to arrive later than the young master because if they did, consequences would have to be paid. Even though Raiden may seem less intimidating due to his looks, he can be merciless at times and that is a sight that they do not wish to see.

"Good morning, Kurosawa-sama," his receptionist greeted with a smile as she saw him passed by and walked into the awaiting lift. Raiden greeted with a 'good morning' then proceeded to go to his office located at the uppermost floor of the building. She sighed softly in contentment, liking the fact that the young master had replied her. She then proceeded to continue with her work, having the feeling that today will turn out to be a good day.

* * *

**...At the top most floor of the skyscraper building...**

"Ichigo, where is the report I asked for last night?" Raiden inquired as he stepped out of the lift and walked towards his office. Out of nowhere, his right-hand man appeared, Hijikata Ichigo, and handed him a report file as his young master requested. Hijikata Ichigo was one of the bodyguards who escorted Raiden when he was at the shopping mall last week.

Raiden skimmed through the report file and smirked. He liked what he sees in the report but decided to continue reading it later as his work was in his way at the moment.

"I expect nothing but the best from my right-hand man. Excellent job Ichigo, you may continue on with your work," Ichigo nodded in acknowledgement and closed the young master's office door after Raiden entered it.

Work took most of Raiden's time that day but he managed to settle everything down quickly. Just within a day, he managed to secure business deals with more than five major companies in Japan and overseas. He used his skills and abilities to his best, there is no satisfying feeling than having to know that you have accomplished more than what you have thought at first. '_Now to get on to reading that report_,' he thought silently.

He flipped through the crisp white pages of the report and stopped at one particular page that holds a photograph of a girl who kept haunting his late night dreams for the past couple of weeks. "She looks better in real life than in this photo," he commented quietly to himself as he traced a finger on the said photograph. "But I suppose for now, all I can have is this," he smirked, "maybe I can resize this into a larger portrait. Yes, I'd do that later on," he smiled gently as he continued to read the report about Fujioka Haruhi.

* * *

**...Later that evening...**

Evening came by and Raiden was still cooped up in his office. After having to read the report, he had the urge to know more about her, everything she likes, everyone she's involved with, her life, and her family even to the tiniest details like her sizes. By sizes, you should know what I mean here. Since he has a background in dealing with technology, such information was not hard to acquire. The more he read, the more he wanted to find out about her. He doesn't need private detectives to investigate about her, he could do it himself if he wanted to. But in the back of his mind, he needs a really good photographer to get her photos. He should tell the photographer to be discreet about it, yes, that's what he'll instruct.

Just then, in the middle of reading her profiles, a knock was heard on his office door. Raiden got slightly annoyed but he knew for a fact that maybe it was an important matter for the knocker to come knocking on his door around this time of the evening.

"Yes?" he called out and his voice was just slightly irritated, he just stumbled upon a website entitled 'Ouran Host Club'. He had to dig deeper to come across the site since it was solely for Ouran, but with his skills, it was an easy task.

Whoever came knocking seemed hesitant to open the door but decided to just open it since the matter he was going to tell the young master was of importance.

"Sorry for the intrusion Raiden-sama," Ichigo poked his head inside as he opened the door, "but I have a message from your father and mother. They wish to see you this weekend back at the Yuki Yanagi mansion," he announced in his deep baritone voice.

"Yuki Yanagi? The main household?" Raiden inquired as he looked up from the screen of his laptop. "Another suitor wishes for my hand in marriage," he stated this matter-of-factly because this was the only reason why he was summoned to the main household. There were no other reasons. Ichigo nodded in confirmation and was somewhat relived that he didn't have to say more to the young master.

"Very well then, thank you," Raiden added before continuing on with his investigation. Ichigo closed the door behind him and walked back to where he was before he arrived at his young master's office.

Raiden browsed through the website and was surprised to see the contents of it. Who knew the girl he had been dreaming about was into Cosplay. And yet, in the back of his mind, he had a feeling that she was asked or forced into wearing most of the clothing she wore in the photographs he was staring at. He then clicked the panel entitled 'Ouran Photoshoot' and nearly slammed his head to the table when he accidentally moved his hand that was propping his chin to look closely at the pictures.

She was clad in a pearly white sleeveless dress with strings of pearls stitched across the chest; a white long satin ribbon was tied around her neck. Her expression was beautiful as she gazed upwards in contemplation. Her cheeks the perfect shade of pink as she blushed slightly, and her skin the perfect shade of porcelain cream. She didn't need any makeup but just a slight touch of light pink lip gloss. Red rose petals dropped softly above her and the light of the background gave her an afterglow effect. She was mesmerizingly beautiful and he _wanted_ her. (A/N: this picture actually exists. If you want to see it, read at the end of this chapter.)

He noticed that the photograph was up for auction and he knew what he had to do to get it. He entered an amount that would surely outbid the rest of the biddings and used 'Anonymous' when a name was prompted. He gave an address that would surely cause no alarm or suspicions to the people who work behind the website.

He cannot wait to get home to his Condo because knew that he would be having wild dreams about her tonight.

* * *

**...The weekend at the Yuki Yanagi household...**

The weekend came by and Raiden was already at the main household. In the main household, the occupants of the house wore traditional Japanese clothing, such as a yukata. Even though his family has a business dealing with technology, they chose to live traditionally, hence the traditional clothing. Today, he was wearing a simple patterned black yukata with a light brown obi. He proceeded down the hallways and walked towards the direction of the guest living room, which was one of the main living rooms of the mansion.

"Good morning Otousama, Okaasama," Raiden greeted with a bow to show respect to his parents before sitting to join them at the lounge area of the living room.

"Good morning Rai-kun," his mother replied while his father merely nodded in greeting, "I hope you slept well last night my son," she smiled gently to her only son.

"Never better mother," Raiden replied with a gentler smile as he took a sit next to his mother.

"The Miyazaki family will arrive in about an hour," his father announced, not wanting to delay anything, "I hope you know this is in our and your best interest Raiden," Kurosawa Harada added as he addressed his son. "Please, at least think about it first before you decide to not accept the proposal in marriage. I hear that his daughter is the most beautiful girl in Kyoto," he threw in the bait, hoping that his son would catch it.

"Of course father," Raiden can only smile and added silently, '_I'll be the judge of that. I don't think any woman can be as beautiful as _her_._' He smiled knowingly to himself although his parents did not see.

* * *

**...A few hours later after the meeting...**

The Miyazaki family left a few hours ago after the meeting earlier on. Like the Kurosawa family, the Miyazaki family practices a traditional aspect of life. And indeed, the rumor about the daughter of the Miyazaki family being beautiful was true. She had soft porcelain skin, and her eyes were black as night yet they seemed gentle. Her raven black hair flowed gently down her back. Her facial features were exquisite. She spoke in a very lady like manner, one who was brought up in a very good family. She didn't seem stuck up like most of the girls he met before and something about her intrigued him. Maybe, he'll give it a try with a date.

His parents were delighted to know that he would go out with Miyazaki Aimi, but didn't raise their hopes too high because they knew how their son was like.

Raiden then excused himself to return to his bedroom since he claimed that he was exhausted from today's meeting. His parents bid him good night and they too proceeded to retire for the night.

Back in his bedroom, Raiden changed out of his yukata and into a white loose pajama pants, he chose not to wear any shirts for the night. He plopped down to his king-sized bed and took his phone from his nightstand. He entered the gallery and scrolled to a picture of _her_. Since his phone can project pictures like a main projector machine, he closed the lights of his bedroom and projected her photo to the empty wall across his bed. There she was, clad in a pale pink ruffled bikini with a short mini summer skirt, standing at the beach with the sea and sky at the background. He acquired the photo from a secret source, thanks to his bodyguards for the job well done.

He continued to stare at every inch of her body, enjoying, but not satisfied, the feeling of arousal that was beginning to appear. He closed his eyes in contentment and dreamed another dream involving her.

**...End of Chapter...**

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**Author's Note**

That is the end of this chapter! So, tell me because I feel intrigued with your opinion right now, what do you think of this chapter? Tell me you hate it, because I know I did. XD and oh, if you want to see the picture of Haruhi, go to arehandora deviantart. Anyway! Reviews! Onegaishimasu~ let me know what you think, seriously. ^_^ till next time~

_Trivia: Yuki Yanagi means Snow Willow._

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**Review replies!**

**Rockerangel742** – don't be sad. The story will just continue in the sequel. ^_^

**SasoLOVE111** – I like the sound of it… The Silent Possessor, it has a nice ring to it XD

**Byoken** – calm down. Takashi will keep his head in check, trust him. ;)

**AngelofDarkness21** – you have to be aware that he is someone's son. :P I can't just kill off someone's son, although, I'd love to do so. XD

**Kellie Witwicky** – ooooh. Good idea, I might bring him in one of the last chapters for this story. :D

And thank you to: **Mistress Hydrangea**, **4K-san**, **chalek4ev**, **UnseenAngel17**, **PunkAngel720**, **sukkileaha**, **anon**, **bookwormsadmusic88** and **csidle** for the reviews! Thank you also to those who put this story on alert/favorite. Keep those reviews coming! You don't know how much they make me happy. XD


	40. Ouran's 44th Annual Festival

**Author's Note  
**Here's a long chapter for my readers, I'm sorry it took a while to be published.

Leave me a review when you're done reading~ I always want to know what you think of the chapter/story so far and it makes me happy (plus it helps me motivate to keep writing for you). ^_^ Oh, there is also a special appearance by one of Ouran's characters in this chapter.

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**Chapter 39 – Ouran's 44****th**** Annual School Festival**

It has already been two months after Takashi's sudden outburst in the Third Music Room about a certain loathed (_*cough*_by many_*cough*_) person named Kurosawa Raiden. The students of Ouran Academy had just finished with their final year exams, with Haruhi getting the top spot in exam scores and the seniors will finally be graduating and be enrolled in Ouran University.

Here is a bit of trivia information: Ouran Academy houses four different school levels, namely Elementary School, Middle School, High School and College/University. Since these four schools are on the same grounds of Ouran Academy, both Takashi and Mitsukuni will still be able to join hosting activities after their classes have ended. Okay, back to the main plot.

No one had exactly forgotten about Raiden, despite the fact that everyone ended up with a busy schedule within the last two months of their time. Well maybe except our dear Haruhi, she seemed to have forgotten his existence all together, although there was a tiny part of her memory about him trying to gnaw its way out into her mind. Even though everyone was busy, all the hosts seemed more aware of their surroundings now, including a certain red-head named Kasanoda Ritsu. He, too, knew about the current situation surrounding his friend, Haruhi, and would do his best to protect her as much as the others would.

…_**Flashback about a week after all the hosts found out that some crazy dude was stalking Haruhi…**_

_Kasanoda was walking around the school gardens of Ouran, trying to find some peace after being surrounded by a bunch of girls who, if his ears and mind were not tricking him, wanted to get his phone number; they seemed to be interested in him too and that caused him to blush a bright red before trying to escape them._

_This incident kept happening to him after that event with Haruhi a while back where he confessed his love to her, who in return was so oblivious about it that she bluntly turned him down without meaning to. Now she ended up with his senpai, Morinozuka Takashi, and he was actually happy for them. At least, his dear friend would be in good hands in the end because he knew that his senpai would take good care of her._

_He was strolling quietly around the rose gardens when he overheard them. He didn't mean to eavesdrop in their conversation but Haruhi's name caught his attention. He hid behind the rose bushes and perked his ears up as he listened in on the conversation between the Hitaachin brothers quietly._

"What are we going to do Kaoru?_" Hikaru started with a worried look etched across his face as he conversed with his twin brother, Kaoru. "_From what Honey-senpai and Kyouya-senpai said the other day, that whatever his name was—_"_

"Kurosawa Raiden,_" Kaoru interrupted before silencing himself and motioning for Hikaru to continue._

"Ah yeah, that Kurosawa dude,_" Hikaru continued as if he wasn't interrupted, "_is 'stalking' Haruhi. And what was that deal about him? That 'when he sets his eyes on something, he'll do whatever it takes to obtain it' part? Just… what is that Kaoru? I don't like how it sounded. The look on Kyouya-senpai's face was so surreal that I had to believe that it was true,_" Hikaru slammed his fist against the ground, trying to get rid of his anger and frustration. "_Why do I have the feeling that something's bad going to happen to her?_" Hikaru grimaced, tears threatening to come out as he bit the bottom of his lips._

_Kaoru looked at his brother sympathetically, "_I'm not sure what's going to happen exactly, Hikaru,_" he said as he laid a hand on Hikaru's shoulder in order to calm him, "_but I know we—all of us will always be there for her to protect her. And I also know that Mori-senpai will definitely not let anything happened to her, you saw how protective he can be towards her,_" Kaoru added reassuringly._

"Yeah, I guess you're right Kaoru. I believe Mori-senpai will protect her the most, but we will too,_" Hikaru replied with a determination. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his fists as he could feel the wetness coming from his eyes._

"What was that about Fujioka?_" Kasanoda appeared from behind the rose bushes he was earlier hiding on._

"B-Bosanova-kun!_" Kaoru said, surprised. Hikaru looked surprised too._

"Is something going to happen to her?_" His face was serious and there was a hint of worry. He pressed them on; wanting to know what was going on with Haruhi. The look on his face was scary that it can turn a crowd into a human blizzard, but the twins were used to it by now although felt a little bit disturbed by it._

_Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other then decided to let him in on the current situation._

…_**End of flashback…**_

Yes, Kasanoda Ritsu will do whatever it takes to protect her, just as much as the others would.

* * *

…_**The day before Ouran's 44**__**th**__** Annual School Festival – Opening Ceremony Preparations in Progress…**_

"Everyone, please move all the tables to the salon in the Central Building," Kaoru instructed the workers behind him as he watched over the scene.

"Yes sir," one of the workers replied and carried the tables with his co-worker to the Central Building.

"Ah, please be careful with that," Kaoru addressed another worker.

The preparations for the Opening Ceremony were coming along well. Everything was in perfect order and everything was also according to schedule. Normally, school festivals are mainly handmade, whereby the students create the sets themselves from scratch. However in Ouran, the school festival places more emphasis on the students' planning and leadership skills. Most of the students in Ouran are expected to become the leaders of the future.

Kyouya and Haruhi stood behind Kaoru, a few feet away, as they observed the scene before them. Kyouya had in his hand, his notebook and he was busily writing down notes and sometimes gave out instructions on what to do at a passing worker. Haruhi just looked on, her thoughts occupying her mind, most probably on the meat sale at the supermarket today. '_I might have to rush over to the supermarket later to get that meat. I wonder if I'll be able to make it in time before they're sold out…_' she thought silently.

Just as Haruhi's thoughts were nearly far away from reality, though her body remains physically on Earth, a series of neighs were heard a few meters to where she and Kyouya stood. Both of them turned to look at the direction of the sound and Haruhi almost, _almost_ wanted to face-palm (and decided not to) but decided to opt for an eye twitch instead. "Ah, they have arrived," Kyouya announced with his glasses glinted in the sunlight.

There stood, majestically if I might add, seven adult-sized horses; two were as white as clouds, one was a dark bay, two were as black as midnight and another two were chestnut browns.

Haruhi saw that Hikaru was riding on one of the chestnut brown horses, it also seemed like he was herding the other horses at a leisurely pace. Tamaki and Mitsukuni also joined in the riding, and each of them was on the white horses. She directed her eyes to Hikaru's right side and saw Takashi. Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach made a flutter; she never thought he would look that good on a horse before. Maybe it was because of the samurai upbringing he seemed to possess. Whatever it was, Haruhi could not direct her eyes elsewhere.

Then, she noticed something. Both Hikaru and Takashi were talking to each other and they looked…peaceful or friendly…? She did not know what word was suitable to describe the current feelings they were giving off, but she liked it. She came to a conclusion that both Hikaru and Takashi were already in good terms with each other. She smiled softly at that thought and joined Kyouya and Kaoru to meet up with the others up ahead.

"There… There…" Hikaru pulled the reins on his horse as he willed it gently to stop; the other horses seemed to follow too.

"Not bad, good job Hikaru," Takashi praised and Hikaru smiled genuinely.

"So Haruhi," Tamaki began; straddling the horse in a very prince-like manner, as he saw her approached them. "What do you think of the horses? Aren't they beautifully majestic? They are flown here straight from Iceland, courtesy of the horse-riding club!" he excitedly added, his prince-like manners still intact. Sparkles of tiny light were appearing around him, making him looked more like a prince.

A crowd of mostly female students were gathering around them and Haruhi could hear the contented sighs coming from them and sweat-dropped. She knew she should have been used to this by now, but it was still unbelievable how absurdly fancy and ridiculous everything was. She did not choose to comment about it but replied Tamaki's question with a, "Yes Tamaki-senpai, they are quite beautiful," she smiled one of her hosting smiles.

"Ne Haruhi," Hikaru called as Haruhi stood in front of the dark bay horse, blinking at it with curious eyes. She turned to look at him and waited for him to continue as she absent-mindedly started to stroke the dark bay horse in front of her gently. The horse leaned to her touch, liking the feeling. "Are you ready to ride your horse yet?" Kaoru added as he straddled his horse (the other chestnut brown).

Haruhi stopped stroking Shino (oh? She gave a pet name to the horse already?). "Oh yeah, I'm suppose to ride her for the festival parade, right?" Haruhi nervously laughed. "I forgot about that…" she trailed off nervously again. "…Can I be excluded from this?" she said in a sort of pleading way, although she knew she was not going to get out from this no matter how much she begged. She started stroking Shino gently again, completely unaware of what she was doing.

Takashi chuckled and Mitsukuni laughed at her behavior, they were both still straddling their horses.

"Nonsense, I shall have none of that Haruhi!" Tamaki overdramatically said, "It is our job as Ouran hosts to entertain the ladies with our utmost charm. By riding these majestic creatures, don't you think that the ladies will be more than just entertained?" he added in a very dramatic way yet again.

"Come now Haruhi," Kyouya interrupted as he slid in his notebook into his blazer's inside pocket, "we need to have a dry run before the real festival tomorrow. You do remember that you still have a total of 2,745,332 yen of debt right?" he stood next to his horse and mount it easily, a smile that was all too calculating was plastered on his face and Haruhi could not help but shudder. "I hope you haven't forgotten your horse riding lessons two weeks ago," he smiled that smile again.

…_**Flashback to two weeks ago; in the music room after hosting activities…**_

"Haruhi, I think it would be in your best interest to learn how to ride a horse properly_," Kyouya announced one day after hosting activities ended. All of them were still lingering around the music room, despite the fact that hosting activities were over for the day._

_Haruhi looked quite confused. "_Why? It's not like I'll need to ride one anytime soon anyway,_" she replied back, a way of her saying no._

"Oh Haruhi~_" Tamaki interrupted, "_you have to, no, you _must_ know how to ride a horse. It is one of the _important_ traits of an Ouran host. Otherwise, how will we go on about during Ouran's Annual Festival? I thought of the idea just two nights ago; all of the hosts riding horses for the Ouran Host Club Special Parade~! Kyouya helped me chose which horse color would go best with each host,_" he added triumphantly. "_Isn't it brilliant?_" he gave her a sort of happy puppy look, waiting for her to agree with him._

"I think it's a complete waste of an idea,_" she shot back bluntly which sent Tamaki to his corner of woe._

"Haru-chan, wouldn't it be fun to ride horses with everyone?_" Mitsukuni appeared by her side, working his cute charm on her as he holds Usa-chan in his arms. "_Ano ne, I think it'll be fun to ride horses alongside each other~!_" he beamed up happily as tiny pink flowers appeared around his head._

"Yeah Haruhi,_" Kaoru started._

"Don't you ever want to know,_" Hikaru added._

"**The feeling of riding on a horse?**_" they said in a synchronized manner._

"No, not… really,_" she replied although a bit hesitant after saying 'not'._

"Haruhi,_" Takashi walked over to her from his couch. She looked up to him with curious eyes that said, 'what is it Takashi?' He cupped her face with his right hand, "_it will be easy _(to ride one)_, I promise _(I won't let you get hurt from it)_,_" he smiled gently down at her. She blinked and nodded slowly before letting out a, "_okay then,_" very quietly, lost in his deep baritone husky-like voice._

_Everyone cheered (except Kyouya who smirked instead) and Tamaki was back on his feet, feeling more spirited than ever, "_Everyone! I have thought of the perfect theme for the annual festival. It will be…_" he trailed off dramatically._

…_**End of flashback…**_

Haruhi sighed out loud and gazed up at Shino with slight apprehension; it wasn't because she was fearful of riding Shino, it's just that she was feeling slightly doubtful on her horse riding skills. Technically, she only learned the basics of riding a horse for only two weeks and that, in Haruhi's opinion, wasn't enough. As if sensing Haruhi's sudden change of emotion, Shino nuzzled and licked Haruhi's face, in a way telling her that it will be okay. "That tickled," Haruhi laughed. "Alright, alright, if you insisted as well, then I might as well do it," she said in defeat to Shino and chuckled. Haruhi took a deep breath and climbed up from Shino's left. She held onto the reins and straddled Shino comfortably while keeping balance at the same time.

Rose petals suddenly swirled calmly around the grounds of Ouran as all the hosts proceeded with the dry run for their special parade. Tamaki led up front, followed by Kyouya slightly behind to his right and Mitsukuni to his left. Then came Haruhi behind Mitsukuni but in-line with Tamaki, next to her right was Takashi and finally, the twins. It was a beautiful sight to behold; seven bishounens riding their respective horses and all the students were awed and mesmerized.

"Oh look! It's the host club!" one of the ladies shouted excitedly from the sidelines.

"All of them look so handsome," another one said as her eyes turned into heart shapes.

"I wish I could ride with one of them," said a lady as she blushed at the thought of riding on one horse with one of the host. Every other lady sighed in content, happy with what they were seeing.

* * *

…_**Opening Ceremony for Ouran's 44**__**th**__** Annual Festival…**_

Beautiful orchestral music flowed around the air of Ouran grounds; female students dressed in beautiful and elegant colorful gowns were dancing with their male partners, dressed in the traditional tuxedos. Everyone twirled and moved in time with the flow of the music; lots of happy faces can be seen around the Ouran grounds as everyone enjoyed their time.

Meanwhile in the Central Hall building, an orchestral music began playing to set the mood of the event. This is when everyone would have a chance in sealing business deals with everyone else, whilst socializing at the same time. Murmurs and chit chats floated around the hall as everyone greeted each other well and then there were the occasional gossips amongst the female aristocrats as well as boastful compliments of the male parents with each other about their sons and daughters' achievements in Ouran Gakuen.

The interior of the hall was transformed into a beautiful garden filled with different arrangements of ikebana, courtesy of the twins and the ikebana club. Ikebana arrangements were parts of their specialty next to fashion; they've inherited the special skill from their grandmother, who was currently on her special journey to seek inspiration for more beautiful ikebana arrangements at the other side of earth as she rode her motorcycle into the sunset with her husband.

The hosts were wearing the same outfit for the opening ceremony of the festival. Each host had put on a black swallow-tailed coat that had silver buttons sewn on it, together with black pants striped with gray lines and polished black shoes. Underneath the coat, they wore a white striped shirt with gray lines down the middle and they had a black tie made out of satin tied around their necks. In the breast pocket of their coat, each host had placed a single rose of their assigned colors, meaning: Tamaki had a white rose, Kyouya had a purple one, Hikaru and Kaoru each have a light blue rose and an orange one respectively, Mitsukuni had a pink rose while Takashi had a dark blue nearly black rose placed inside his breast pocket and Haruhi had a single red rose placed in hers.

They were standing, a few feet away from each other, at the grand staircase of the central hall. Tamaki at the center with Kyouya, Hikaru and Kaoru on his left while Haruhi, Takashi and Mitsukuni on his right. There were already a large number of people gathered in the hall and every one of them looked up at the grand staircase. Then, as if on cue, each host placed their right hand over their left chest (over their hearts) and bowed slightly to the audience.

"Welcome to Ouran's 44th Annual Festival," Tamaki graciously greeted the audience with a prince-like gesture, "We, the Host Club, will be your hosts for today," he smiled like a charming prince now and this earned a swoon amongst the female audience of the hall.

"We hope you will enjoy your stay here with us," Kyouya continued off where Tamaki had stopped, "and we will have an Ouran Host Club Special Parade tomorrow, at the last day of the festival." He too smiled charmingly as he finished.

* * *

…_**2**__**nd**__** and final day of Ouran's 44**__**th**__** Annual Festival…**_

A soft wind blew around the grounds of Ouran Gakuen making the cherry blossom petals swirled together into a beautiful dance of elegance; female students dressed in elegant kimonos of various colors and male students dressed in modern Japanese clash Western tuxedos (a/n: I have an idea on how it would look like, but I really suck at drawing (though I did draw something for it)) were seen enjoying the cherry blossom viewing banquet down at the Cherry Blossom fields. The theme for the host club's special event was traditional Japanese mixed with a Western flair.

Haruhi, dressed in a special custom made outfit for Ouran host club's special parade event, looked very much like a boy with a very pretty face. She was wearing a long-sleeved, collared white shirt underneath a black vest that had silver buttons sewn onto the vest. On top of the vest, she had put on a sleeveless maroon coat with golden linings at the outer edges and patterned sakura sewn at both sides on the front of the coat. The coat reached just above her knee. She had also put on black pants with suede riding boots. She tied a long white cloth around her waist as a means of a belt. Then on her arms, she had put on light brown arm guards. She then tied a red ribbon bow around her neck to complete the look of the outfit. As she walked by pushing the cart laden with desserts and hot drinks around the hall, a lot of heads; mainly consisted of the women audience and maybe a handful of men as well, turned to her direction as they looked at her in awe. It was as if she gave off this great brilliance of a feeling that radiated off of her.

Her eyes were somewhat dreamy, warm and content that nearby females would blush involuntarily as she smiled up at them, offering them tea or coffee or the variety of desserts on the cart. Of course, they still do not know that Haruhi is, in fact, a girl. All they are seeing right now is a pretty face bishounen. Even a few of the men, who has similar personalities like Suoh Yuzuru would be unaware of the blush slowly forming on their faces as they gazed continuously, with acknowledgement and appraisal, towards her.

You can see Tamaki using his charismatic personality as he entertained the guests that were gathering around him and Kyouya working his business charm with the clients of the Ootori Zaibatsu as well as the clients of the host club. The twins were enjoying the fashion debate they were having with a group of fashion-crazed guests, while Mitsukuni and Takashi conversed with some of the ladies who frequented the host club as well as those of their family's business partners where the former did most of the talking and the latter gave out his views every now and then when needed to.

All of the hosts were wearing outfits similar to that of the Shinsengumi era (a/n: I'll explain this bit at the end of the chapter, under Author's Notes). Tamaki wore a white vest under a sleeveless golden yukata-fold jacket secured with a brown leather belt. On top of that, he had put on a three-quarter sleeve long white coat that reached past his knees. The coat had purple flower patterns sewn on the front with golden rectangular linings. He wore brown colored pants with dark coffee brown riding boots. Both his arms had similar arm guards like Haruhi's but they were of golden color. He secured the coat by wrapping a long white cloth around his waist as well as an extra belt for added security.

Kyouya was wearing a silver buttoned black vest under a double button black trench coat. He wore black pants and black riding boots and instead of arm guards, he had put on thin black gloves. He secured his outfit with tying a long white cloth around his waist, much like Haruhi and Tamaki did. Underneath the white cloth was another extra blue cloth that he had wrapped diagonally around his waist. He did not wear his glasses today as Tamaki insisted that he put on contacts instead because the outfit went better with contacts. Even if his outfit looked simple, it still gave him the Shadow King aura.

As for the twins, they did not wear the same or similar type of clothing for the festival. Their outfits spoke out their characters; Hikaru was wearing a white shirt underneath a thin black, long-sleeved jacket that he folded halfway up his arms. He secured the jacket with a white cloth tied around his waist. Over the jacket, he had put on a long green collared coat that reached just his knees. The coat had dark orange flower patterns sewn on the front with black rectangular linings. He had put on black pants with brown riding boots.

Like the others, Kaoru was also wearing a long-sleeved white shirt underneath a black vest, embellished with silver buttons. Over the vest, he had put on a long black and white, sleeveless jacket that reached past his knees. The jacket was tied together with a silver ribbon. He wore black pants with black riding boots; he had also put on a black belt underneath a long white cloth that he had tied around his waist. He tied long strips of maroon ribbon around his hands to look like gloves.

Mitsukuni adorned a long sleeve white shirt, which he folded a quarter ways up his arms, underneath a black vest. He had tied a long gold colored cloth around his waist to be made into a belt. Underneath the gold cloth, he had also tied a square-ish purple sash that had white sakura flowers pattern on it. He had also put on black pants like the rest of the hosts and brown riding boots. He opted for an open simple thin leather black gloves for his hands.

Takashi's outfit fitted him so perfectly that you would wonder if he was a modern day Japanese man or actually a man from the Shinsengumi era. Since his upbringing was related to the samurai ways and tradition, the outfit really brought out his wild character side like everyone had claimed. He was wearing a green yukata-fold vest underneath a long-sleeved black jacket. He had put on brown arm guards on both his arms that reached up to his elbows. Over the jacket, he had put on a sleeveless, long dark colored coat that reached just above his knees. There were silver and blue flowers sewn onto a rectangular shaped black background on the front of the coat, with silver linings at the edges of the black background. Also like the others, he had put on black riding boots and black pants.

The outfits made all of them looked taller and leaner and somewhat intimidating yet approachable. Everyone in the Central Hall were admiring and complimenting them. No doubt, everyone agreed that the whole Cosplay or outfits they currently adorned complimented their characters sufficiently and also made them (well, some of them) somewhat desirable, especially to the female guests.

* * *

The hall was now filled with a lot of people talking and slowly, the space inside the hall was filled up but it was a grand hall, they can never really run out of space. It seemed that everything was going according to plan and nothing out of the ordinary was going to happen, or was it? (A/n: smiles evilly)

"Haru-hime, you look lovely in that… outfit," a beautiful voice, so familiar, spoke out behind her. Haruhi jumped slightly as she was startled and turned around to see the very man that her mind nagged her to remember. Her feet told her to just walk away, but her brain told her to stay put. The other hosts were not near her at the time, unfortunately.

"K-Kurosawa-san?" she started, a slight nervousness in her voice, one that did not go unnoticed by the said man in front of her. "What are you doing here?" she asked forwardly, not implying any rude intentions at all.

"Why, attending this festival of course. It is open to public, is it not?" he gave her a crooked smile that could have melt any girl or woman who saw it. She tried hard not to flush and to just stand her ground. And so, she did it successfully.

"Well yes, of course," she replied, her nervousness all gone, "I didn't think that you were the type to attend such events," she added bluntly.

"Oh? So, what type would I be?" he quirked up an eyebrow, sounding interested.

"I don't know," she said truthfully, "maybe the type who would put work over social gatherings, like a few people I know. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay here, if you'd excuse me," she was about to walk away with the dessert cart when he called her.

"Will I be able to see you again later?" he said hopefully.

"Maybe," she shrugged and gave him her natural host smile and walked away.

Raiden smirked and walked away as well through the throngs of people currently in the Central Hall. He definitely could not wait to see her again, but he has to be careful not to be seen by any of the other hosts, he knew how protective they could be especially now when he was around. Maybe he could get Haruhi to be alone with him later, but for the meantime, he might as well enjoy the festival.

Kyouya took a seat on his designated area, fingers typing away on the Pineapple laptop placed in front of him. On the outside, he may have looked like he was so busy doing his work on his laptop, but he actually did saw the Kurosawa guy talking to Haruhi a while ago. He chose not to do anything for the moment and to just see what will happen afterwards. However, he will have a lookout on Haruhi, just in case. Kyouya chose not to tell the others about Kurosawa's attendance because he knew it would create a stir amongst them, especially to his senpai, Takashi, and right now, they have guests to entertain. Any chaos resulted from that would give them all trouble.

He will act and tell the others when the time is right.

* * *

…_**Later that afternoon…**_

"Alright everyone, please gather in the preparation room in twenty minutes," Kyouya instructed the rest of the hosts, "We will proceed with the next event for the festival."

The time was nearing the afternoon and the hosts gathered inside the preparation room in order to get ready for their special event for the school festival: the Ouran Host Club Special Parade! The first ones to arrive were Kyouya (obviously), Takashi (Mitsukuni was still in the hall, eating cakes) and surprisingly Kaoru (his twin was still in the hall with Tamaki and Haruhi).

"Kyouya, Kaoru," Takashi called them quietly and both mentioned boys turned their heads towards their senpai, "if you may please follow me for a moment. I have a couple of things to discuss with you both. Don't worry Kyouya, it won't take long. It wouldn't affect the parade time, I assure you," Takashi added and walked over to the lounge area. (A/n: wow! That must've shocked both Kyouya and Kaoru, hearing so much words coming from Takashi XD)

Kaoru blinked a few times and pinched himself several times to make sure he heard what he just heard correctly. He looked over to Kyouya who seemed unfazed with how much words the senior had spoken. He assumed that the third-year senior was extremely tired at the moment.

"What's up, Mori-senpai?" Kaoru started.

"Yes, Mori-senpai, what is it that you wish to discuss with us?" Kyouya looked over to Kaoru. He had a bit of a hard time believing that their senpai actually wanted to talk with _both_ of them. The combination of people (himself and Kaoru) was just odd, so to speak.

"It's about Haruhi," Takashi began and Kyouya as well as Kaoru looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue, "Soon I and Mitsukuni will be graduating in a few days time and will start our college years. I will have less time to come to the host club due to my college schedule, which also means less time for me to see her, to protect her. So I need both of you to look after her for me when I'm not around, protect her by any means necessary and notify me immediately through my cell phone if something is amiss. Can you do this?"

The three of them grew quiet for a few minutes as both Kyouya and Kaoru were contemplating about this because it was all of a sudden. Sure, they cared about Haruhi; everyone did, still does and always will. They would put their lives on the line for her because that is how much she meant to them. Takashi looked at them expectantly, he was sure that both of them would do it.

"Of course, we'll do it," both Kyouya and Kaoru replied at the same time. Takashi smiled gently.

"But why did you ask us, Mori-senpai?" Kaoru asked. Kyouya said nothing as his question was the same as Kaoru's.

"Because I trust you both with my heart than I do with the other two, not that I don't trust them enough, and I know you will do whatever it takes to keep her safe because out of all the hosts, you two can relate to her more than the other two," Takashi explained honestly.

"Wow, I don't know what to say to that but thank you for thinking of us that way Mori-senpai," Kaoru replied in surprised. "I didn't know that that's how you felt about us," he smiled sheepishly.

"Ah," Takashi gave him a small smile and laid his hand on Kaoru's head once.

'_That's it,_' Kyouya thought silently as he listened to Takashi's explanation, words running around in his mind, mixing together, '_now I understand why he trusted us more and why we were chosen to do this task. My combination with Kaoru seems ideal now; I may need to discuss further plans with Kaoru in order to keep an eye on Haruhi although I could do all this by myself, but now's not the time to be selfish about things. It's a shame that I didn't pursue her from the very beginning; I could have made Father proud to have Haruhi as my future bride. But I guess right now's not the time for that sort of thinking. Haruhi is happy with Mori-senpai and I should respect their relationship. I'll choose this time to protect her silently with my shadow king skills._' He smirked inwardly and pushed up his glasses. '_I must let Mori-senpai know about Kurosawa-kun's visit earlier,_' he thought in realization.

"Mori-senpai, earlier on there was someone who came to see Haruhi," Kyouya started and this caught both Takashi's and Kaoru's attention.

"Who was it, Kyouya-senpai?" Kaoru asked, although at the back of his mind, he felt uneasy because he had a feeling he knew who Kyouya was talking about.

"Yes, who was it Kyouya?" Takashi's voice turned serious.

"It was Kurosawa-san. He was here earlier, talking for a moment with Haruhi in the Central Hall," Kyouya added and he noticed the emotion changed in his senpai's eyes. First there was calmness, then surprise followed by controlled anger and finally back to calm again.

"I believe that he wishes to see her again at a later time," Kyouya added again, "I didn't mention this earlier to you because we had guests and customers during that hour."

"Yes, I understand Kyouya. You did what you had to do. Thank you for telling me this," Takashi replied, reassuring Kyouya that it was okay, that he would not get angry because Kyouya didn't mention this to him earlier on. "Alright, I can hear the others approaching near. Thank you both of you, for this doing this. Let's get ready for the parade," Takashi said as he got up from his couch as did the other two.

"You're welcome, Mori-senpai. Glad to be of service!" Kaoru replied and gave him a grin.

"Yes, let us get ready," Kyouya smiled knowingly.

Just as the three of them got up from the couch, the door of the preparation room opened and walked in the rest of the hosts with smiles and grins on their faces, although Haruhi seemed annoyed (not angry annoyed) with watching the others' antics.

"It's time for the Ouran Host Club Special Parade!" Tamaki announced, one hand flourished out as the other lay on his chest and this earned a cheer from Mitsukuni, while Takashi and Kyouya looked on and smiled, Hikaru and Kaoru joined Mitsukuni in the cheer and Haruhi chuckled as she watched over their antic behaviors. She walked up next to Takashi and pulled him down slightly to give him a kiss on his cheek. Takashi blushed softly and run his thumb along her cheeks as he cupped her face.

"Mommy! What is Daughter doing?" Tamaki asked horrified.

"I believe that 'Daughter' is giving a kiss to the Prince, Daddy," Kyouya played along and smirked.

"B-but, I'm the Prince of the Host Club," Tamaki pouted and poked a mushroom at the corner.

"Haruhi's being so bold today!" the devil twins snickered as they watched the scene unfold.

"Oh, shut it!" Haruhi replied and laughed.

Mitsukuni cheered more and laughed along with the twins.

* * *

Each host had freshened up from the previous hosting event in the Central Hall before all of them proceeded towards the entrance where there stood majestically seven beautiful horses for each host. Now each host mounted on their respective horses and reared their horses to walk along the Ouran grounds in a very peaceful pace.

Suddenly, a whirling of cherry blossom petals mixed with rose petals fell down from the sky and showered the festival with a beautiful sight to behold. It was as if the host club came out from a fairy tale, one that absolutely awed every passerby and spectator as they watched the hosts strolled along the Ouran grounds on their special parade. Now each host adorned a beautiful and melting-the-fangirls smile, even Kyouya and Takashi, and this caused a frenzied reaction from the spectators.

Takashi reared up his horse next to Haruhi's so they walked in sync with each other. The other hosts were currently in the spur of a moment as they waved to their customers, especially Tamaki. He was dangerously giving out sparkles and smiling charmingly like a prince that he is, as he waved at all the visitors and customers that stood along the sides, watching them parade. The twins were grinning cheekily as they waved to the visitors and Kyouya smiled with a beautiful charm to it as he also waved occasionally to the visitors. Pink flowers floated around Mitsukuni as he happily waved at the coming visitors and customers.

Since most of them were distracted, Takashi took this chance to speak with Haruhi.

"Haruhi," he began in his deep rumble voice.

"Yes?" Haruhi replied, waiting for him to continue as she turned her head towards his direction.

"Will you do me the honor of going out on a date with me the next day after my graduation?" he asked in his humble manner, blushing slightly because it took all his might to ask her properly like this, even though they are a couple already.

She blinked and noticed the slight blush on his cheeks. She chuckled before giving her answer, "Yes, I would love that." She smiled genuinely and blush a soft pink.

Takashi smiled gently, feeling at ease when she said yes. Now, all that he needed to worry about was the date. He needs help from the host club in order to make it successful. After all, he was planning to ask her _the_ question. He should have a talk with the host club after the festival was done.

* * *

…_**Later that evening…**_

The festival was nearing its end; the sky was turning a pretty pinkish orange hue. The wind was slightly chilly during this time, but it was more to a comfortable chilly wind rather than a horrible icy one. The grounds of Ouran were already sparse of incoming visitors to the festival, and most of them went home right after the festivals were done.

The host club was at the central hall, overseeing the cleaning after the festival. They helped as well though, with throwing away stray trash, especially Haruhi. She just couldn't let it past her. The other hosts were a bit far away from her location, including Takashi and Mitsukuni, as they were supervising the workers with the cleaning progress.

"Hello," Raiden greeted from behind her, a few feet away.

"Ah, Kurosawa-san," Haruhi stopped momentarily with cleaning the bits of crumbs on the floor. "You're not going home yet? The festival is already over, other people are already going home too," she stated.

He smiled, "If I remembered correctly, I did say that I wanted to see you afterwards earlier," he said and added, "and please, call me Raiden." He smiled again, the sort of smile that would make a girl blush and melt to the floor. Somehow, what he was attempting to do to her, didn't work on her at all.

"Ah yes, I guess you did say that," Haruhi replied, "So, what is it that you wanted to see me for, Kurosawa-san?" she added bluntly. She didn't want to get so familiar with this guy, despite his attempts to make her do so, he radiated off a troublesome stance much to her dislike but she will try not to be too judging over him.

He twitched slightly inwardly when she didn't call him by his first name, as he expected but he still smiled as he conversed with her. "How have you been, Haru-hime? I have not seen you for quite some time," he asked pleasantly.

"I've been… well," she smiled softly at some distant thoughts in her head that involves Takashi, something that Raiden noticed quickly. "Anyway, I have to go now. I need to continue with the cleaning. Please, excuse me," Haruhi added and turned away.

"Wait—", Raiden called and just as he was about to grasp her wrist, another hand grasped it instead. Said person placed her behind him and towered over Raiden easily. His posture was defensive and protective and his steel gray eyes were piercing through Raiden's emerald ones.

"Sorry, but I can't give her to you," Takashi said grudgingly. He then proceeded to walk away with Haruhi, who looked up at him with so much love, by his side and with his hand placed at the small of her back, he directed her towards the rest of the host club. The rest of the host club were staring at Raiden intently with a murderous fiery aura and instantly changed when she joined them. They were now laughing happily at something silly that Tamaki just did.

"For now," Raiden smirked.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Don't you feel like murdering Raiden right now? I know I do. =w=

Outfits for the hosts are based on the game/anime Hakuouki. You should go and check it out; it's absolutely filled with a lot of bishounens from the Shinsegumi era. Now the outfits I described above were from the time when the Shinsengumi was westernized, this included weapons but the Hakuouki men prefer to use their katana instead. To see the outfits, search for "Hakuouki Hekketsuroku". Below shows which Ouran host adorns which character's outfit from Hakuouki:

Tamaki – Hijikata Toshizo's outfit, but according to the color I described above  
Kyouya – Hajime Saito's outfit  
Hikaru – Shinpachi Nagakura's outfit  
Kaoru – Sanosuke Harada's outfit  
Mitsukuni – Heisuke Todo's outfit  
Takashi – Souji Okita's outfit, but according to the color I described above  
Haruhi – Chizuru Yukimura's outfit

Alright, now that's already put aside, there will be one more chapter left to go before this story ends. I've got the plot already written down, but the last and final update might take a bit of a while because my muse suddenly decides that now is the time for it to take a vacation. =w="

So please leave me a review, I really want to know what you guys think of the story so far.


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